=†~^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^~†=
†~^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^~†
=†~^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^~†=
&=†~^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^~†=&
&&=†~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~†=&&
¶&&=†~^,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,^~†=&&¶
#¶&&=†~^,,         † 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.       ,¨,:»=%$¤#
¤$=†»-¨,,,                                          ,,,¨-»†=$¤
£^=~,¨,,¨,                                          ,¨,,¨,~=^£
§\«.,,..,¨                                          ¨,..,,.«\§
^=,¨,,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,,¨,=^
*:-..,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,..-:*