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