##@§%§\-^,                                          ,^-\§%§@##
##@§%§\-^,                                          ,^-\§%§@##
##@§%§\-^,                                          ,^-\§%§@##
##@§%§\-^,                                          ,^-\§%§@##
##@§%§\-^,                                          ,^-\§%§@##
##@§%§\-^,         # -------------------- #         ,^-\§%§@##
###@§§\-^,         \ 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†~   ,,,¨,\%*¶#
###@$%;~.,   ~«BEING = STOLEN «~ FROM ~~« THEM. ¨   ,.~;%$@###
§£^*:~¨.,,          »= .  ~«« ¨  -.  ,=  »          ,,.¨~:*^£§
##£¤¤**~-.    ^   -.          ,                .    .-~**¤¤£##
¤£**†~..,,        .      ,          ¨      †        ,,..~†**£¤
#&$%^-:¨,¨                                          ¨,¨:-^%$&#
#$=»..¨,,,                    ¨#.                   ,,,¨..»=$#
#@@£@§^»,,                                          ,,»^§@£@@#
##£@¤$*«,.                   AND,                   .,«*$¤@£##
##@£$=:«..                                          ..«:=$£@##
##$%=,.,.,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,.,.,=%$##
@$«~.¨,,.¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨.,,¨.~«$@
#%:«~¨....                                          ....¨~«:%#
##¶£%**~-¨                                          ¨-~**%£¶##
###§@%*~~,                                          ,~~*%@§###
####£**-.,                                          ,.-**£####
#@@£@†;-^¨                                          ¨^-;†@£@@#