%%†»-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-»†%%
@%%†»-,,,,                                          ,,,,-»†%%@
#@%%†»-,,,                                          ,,,-»†%%@#
##@%%†»-,,                                          ,,-»†%%@##
###@%%†»-,                                          ,-»†%%@###
##@%%†»-,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,-»†%%@##
#@%%†»-,,,         † 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.       ¨..¨.¨:~:%
%%^»,..¨,,                                          ,,¨..,»^%%
#*=/~,,.¨.                                          .¨.,,~/=*#
@#&%;»,,¨,                                          ,¨,,»;%&#@
###¤%/~,..                                          ..,~/%¤###
###£¤§\-:.                                          .:-\§¤£###