###@%$;»-¨                                          ¨-»;$%@###
##@%$;»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»;$%@##
#@%$;»-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-»;$%@#
##@%$;»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»;$%@##
###@%$;»-¨                                          ¨-»;$%@###
##@%$;»-¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨-»;$%@##
#@%$;»-¨¨¨         ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ;         ¨¨¨-»;$%@#
##@%$;»-¨¨         ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ;         ¨¨-»;$%@##
###@%$;»-¨         ;  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ;         ¨-»;$%@###
##@%$;»-¨¨         ;  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ;         ¨¨-»;$%@##
#@%$;»-¨¨¨         ;  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ;         ¨¨¨-»;$%@#
##@%$;»-¨¨  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¨¨-»;$%@##
###@%$;»-¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨-»;$%@###
##@%$;»-¨¨         ;        AT ALL...     ;         ¨¨-»;$%@##
#@%$;»-¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨-»;$%@#
###$§==,,¨                                          ¨,,==§$###
##@@&^:-,.     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.        ..:=\=£#@#
#£@=*=,.,,                                          ,,.,=*=@£#
##¶$$:»-¨,                                          ,¨-»:$$¶##
###@$†/«,¨                                          ¨,«/†$@###
#@£$=*»~¨¨                                          ¨¨~»*=$£@#
##£*†-~,.¨                                          ¨.,~-†*£##