#¤$««,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,««$¤#
#¤§::«,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,«::§¤#
#@§§$:,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,:$§§@#
@§::«,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,«::§@
##@¤§$:«,¨                                          ¨,«:$§¤@##
@@¤¤§$:«,¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨,«:$§¤¤@@
¤¤§$«¨¨¨¨¨         : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS :         ¨¨¨¨¨«$§¤¤
###@¤§$«,¨         : IN A STALE TIMELINE, :         ¨,«$§¤@###
#¤$$:,¨¨¨¨         :  BRANCHED WAY BACK   :         ¨¨¨¨,:$$¤#
@§§$$$:«,¨         :  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  :         ¨,«:$$$§§@
¤$:,¨¨¨¨¨¨         :  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  :         ¨¨¨¨¨¨,:$¤
¤$$$:«¨¨¨¨  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¨¨¨¨«:$$$¤
##@¤§$:«,¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨,«:$§¤@##
#¤§$««,,¨¨         :        AT ALL...     :         ¨¨,,««$§¤#
##@¤§$:«,¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨,«:$§¤@##
##@§£*=-~,                                          ,~-=*£§@##
@&$§\-.¨¨,     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     ,¨¨.-\§$&@
&*†~¨..,.¨   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.  ,.,¨,.;§¤£
##¶@$$†~^,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,^~†$$@¶##
###&@^/~^.                                          .^~/^@&###
#@@@§^*--,                                          ,--*^§@@@#
####@$:~,¨                                          ¨,~:$@####
#*$=,¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨,=$*#
##@£&%†«-,                                          ,-«†%&£@##