@*†««~,,,,                                          ,,,,~««†*@
##@&*=†«~,                                          ,~«†=*&@##
##@&*=†«~,                                          ,~«†=*&@##
##@&*=†«~,                                          ,~«†=*&@##
##@&*=†«~,                                          ,~«†=*&@##
&&==««~,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,~««==&&
&*==««~,,,         † 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.       ,¨..^^\%&@
@§^»«=»^¨¨                                          ¨¨^»=«»^§@
@¶@†/\†-,,                                          ,,-†\/†@¶@
###@$†:=,¨                                          ¨,=:†$@###
£@&§/.~:,.                                          .,:~./§&@£
£¤&/»¨¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨¨»/&¤£