¶&§\=,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,=\§&¶
@¶&§\=,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,=\§&¶@
#@¶&§\=,¨¨                                          ¨¨,=\§&¶@#
##@¶&§\=,¨                                          ¨,=\§&¶@##
#@¶&§\=,¨¨                                          ¨¨,=\§&¶@#
@¶&§\=,¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨,=\§&¶@
¶&§\=,¨¨¨¨         \ 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.  ¨,..,.~«^=
$^:»,¨,,,.       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        .,,,¨,»:^$
@%^:~..¨¨.                                          .¨¨..~:^%@
@#$%†~-¨..                                          ..¨-~†%$#@
#@#$%:«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«:%$#@#
####¤††»,.                                          .,»††¤####
#@#£%*»^¨,                                          ,¨^»*%£#@#