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