$§†=^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^=†§$
@$§†=^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^=†§$@
#@$§†=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=†§$@#
##@$§†=^¨¨                                          ¨¨^=†§$@##
###@$§†=^¨                                          ¨^=†§$@###
##@$§†=^¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨^=†§$@##
#@$§†=^¨¨¨         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ¨¨¨^=†§$@#
@$§†=^¨¨¨¨         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ¨¨¨¨^=†§$@
$§†=^¨¨¨¨¨         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         ¨¨¨¨¨^=†§$
§†=^¨¨¨¨¨¨         †  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.        ,,..,,:~*^
/~~,¨..,,.                                          .,,..¨,~~/
*†»-¨¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨¨-»†*
&^^«,¨¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨¨,«^^&
§$^^«:¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨:«^^$§
@§¤^/»-,,¨                                          ¨,,-»/^¤§@