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