#*%††=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=††%*#
##**%=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=%**##
#&&&*%†=^¨                                          ¨^=†%*&&&#
##***%†=^¨                                          ¨^=†%***##
###&*%†=^¨                                          ¨^=†%*&###
&%==¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨==%&
####&%†=^¨         † 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.       ,^»:†@§###
##@#£§^=,,                                          ,,=^§£#@##
##%£&%\=,¨                                          ¨,=\%&£%##
#@@#$%=~^,                                          ,^~=%$#@@#
#@@££†;~,.                                          .,~;†££@@#
#$£%=%=«,,                                          ,,«=%=%£$#