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