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