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