@&$*/«:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:«/*$&@
&$*/«:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:«/*$&
$*/«:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:«/*$
&$*/«:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:«/*$&
@&$*/«:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:«/*$&@
@@&$*/«:¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨:«/*$&@@
#@@&$*/«:¨         / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS /         ¨:«/*$&@@#
@@&$*/«:¨¨         / IN A STALE TIMELINE, /         ¨¨:«/*$&@@
@&$*/«:¨¨¨         /  BRANCHED WAY BACK   /         ¨¨¨:«/*$&@
&$*/«:¨¨¨¨         /  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  /         ¨¨¨¨:«/*$&
$*/«:¨¨¨¨¨         /  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  /         ¨¨¨¨¨:«/*$
&$*/«:¨¨¨¨  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¨¨¨¨:«/*$&
@&$*/«:¨¨¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨¨¨:«/*$&@
@@&$*/«:¨¨         /        AT ALL...     /         ¨¨:«/*$&@@
#@@&$*/«:¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨:«/*$&@@#
@#£§§†=,,¨                                          ¨,,=†§§£#@
£§&=^=..¨,     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     ,¨..=^=&§£
¤*§/~,¨..,   LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK,   ,..¨,~/§*¤
*$†»~,.¨¨.  FINDING INSTEAD ONLY STONE AND DIRT AND .¨¨.,~»†$*
@§$†=~.,..  ROOTS THAT ARE AS HARD AS THE GROUND.   ..,.~=†$§@
£@£†=«,,.¨   IT'S GETTING DARK, THEY ARE THIRSTY,   ¨.,,«=†£@£
#¶¤%=†»-.,     AND ABOUT TO FIND THE WOLF POOL.     ,.-»†=%¤¶#
##£@&=;~.,                                          ,.~;=&@£##
#@#&%†~..,                    .#¨                   ,..~†%&#@#
¶@%*\=^.,.                                          .,.^=\*%@¶
§$§\«,..¨¨    THE POOL LIES IN A SMALL METEORITE    ¨¨..,«\§$§
&†*«.,.¨,,    IMPACT CRATER, SIXTY METERS ACROSS.   ,,¨.,.«*†&
§¤*/~~...,   IT'S SURFACE IS PITCH BLACK AND EVEN   ,...~~/*¤§
££%†^~-¨..   THOUGH IT'S NOT WELL PROTECTED, IT IS  ..¨-~^†%££
@@¤£†:-^.,           UNDISTURBED BY WIND.           ,.^-:†£¤@@
#@¶£$*†~^,                                          ,^~†*$£¶@#
@¶§§=;=.,¨                    .#.                   ¨,.=;=§§¶@
@§§*/-,.,.                                          .,.,-/*§§@
@£§=«^,,¨.     AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE     .¨,,^«=§£@
*$*«-,¨,,, EXPLORERS FIRST BELIEVE IT TO BE WATER,  ,,,¨,-«*$*
£@%*=-¨..,    WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY ALL DESIRE    ,..¨-=*%@£
#@§§:=^¨.,   GREATLY AT THIS POINT. THEY FAIL TO    ,.¨^=:§§@#
#@¤§%:~,,¨ NOTICE THAT THE STARS DO NOT REFLECT ON  ¨,,~:%§¤@#
#@£@**=»,.   ITS SURFACE. ONE OF THEM CROUCHES TO   .,»=**@£@#
#£££^:=~¨,    DRINK, FORMS A CUP WITH HIS HANDS,    ,¨~=:^£££#
##$†^~:,,,      LOWERS THE CUP INTO THE POOL.       ,,,:~^†$##
§$^:=:.¨,.                                          .,¨.:=:^$§
**^=:..¨¨, HE TRIES TO RESIST AT FIRST, BUT IS TOO  ,¨¨..:=^**
#%==~.,¨.¨  CLOSE, AND HE QUICKLY GIVES UP AS THE   ¨.¨,.~==%#
#£§*†«~¨.¨ LIQUID FLOWS INTO HIS MIND. THE OTHERS,  ¨.¨~«†*§£#
#££¤*=~,,.   - NOT UNDERSTANDING THE-DANGER, MOVE   .,,~=*¤££#
#@#&&*;=:.       CLOSER TO HELP THEIR.FRIEND.       .:=;*&&#@#
#@#%=*~~..       ,      ~    ~            ^ ¨       ..~~*=%#@#
@§£^=»:¨¨.    AND,THEN¨THE.POOL.ANNOUNCES.ITSELF    .¨¨:»=^£§@
§%*\~~,¨¨,      TO.THEM.-¨SUDDEN.:.THOUGHTS,OF¨     ,¨¨,~~\*%§
¤=\=,¨,.,¨    ,,~DARK~WOLVES~¨CLIMBING:OUT~OF---«   ¨,.,¨,=\=¤
#¤^/~,...,    =~~THE»POOL,«SURROUNDING;THEM^-*;^    ,...,~/^¤#
@&%§:-^,,.    †SUDDEN=THOUGHTS\OF=~\CLIMBING^=^     .,,^-:§%&@
#£§*§*«^¨.   INTO†THE*POOL,†THEIR*THIRST%FLARING*   .¨^«*§*§£#
##¶&$=;~,¨    ^$§BRIGHT%-§*A%SUDDEN%%AWARENESS#     ¨,~;=$&¶##
@@§£%*~,,¨ #@OF££EXACTLY¤£HOW#THEY§HAD#TRAVELED,&#  ¨,,~*%£§@@
@&£†=»^..,   #&OF&THE£WAY£HOME#@TO@THE£TIME@FROM@£  ,..^»=†£&@
@@*==,.,,¨   ##WHERE#THEY#CAME,#@#@#@#AND#THEN@##@  ¨,,.,==*@@
$%/-^,..¨¨   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE*~   ¨¨..,^-/%$
£&=;=,,¨¨¨   =«BEING « STOLEN »- FROM =~~ THEM. ,   ¨¨¨,,=;=&£
#&£=:»~¨,¨          «- ¨  =»= ,  ~.  -~  -          ¨,¨~»:=£&#
#¶£§§;»-,¨    ,   :.          -                .    ¨,-»;§§£¶#
#@£#$$^-,.        .      ,          ,      $        .,-^$$#£@#
#¶¤$§/~:¨.                                          .¨:~/§$¤¶#
¶#*%^=-,¨¨                    .#,                   ¨¨,-=^%*#¶
£%*†~,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,~†*%£
£*==^,¨...                   AND,                   ...¨,^==*£
£$*\~.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.~\*$£
¶¤@%;»~.¨.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  .¨.~»;%@¤¶
##£$†*=.,¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨,.=*†$£##
#@#§¤^†=-¨                                          ¨-=†^¤§#@#
@#§¤=:~,,.                                          .,,~:=¤§#@
#§$*†«:,¨.                                          .¨,:«†*$§#
@$*^~,,,,.                                          .,,,,~^*$@
@*†--,¨..,                                          ,..¨,--†*@