###%%\«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«\%%###
####%%\«-¨                                          ¨-«\%%####
###%%\«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«\%%###
##%%\«-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-«\%%##
###%%\«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«\%%###
####%%\«-¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨-«\%%####
###%%\«-¨¨         \ 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†*%    ..^»;$¤¤@#
##£@*^^»,.   INTO*THE/POOL,%THEIR*THIRST†FLARING$   .,»^^*@£##
#£§*%/~,¨,    %$$BRIGHT%-$¤A$SUDDEN$@AWARENESS#     ,¨,~/%*§£#
¶£¤§\=-,.¨  #&OF@¤EXACTLY@£HOW£THEY¤HAD&TRAVELED,$# ¨.,-=\§¤£¶
#@£$=;»,,.  #@OF&THE@WAY@HOME¶#TO#THE@TIME#FROM£#   .,,»;=$£@#
##@§£*\~-,  ##WHERE@THEY#CAME,###@@#@AND@THEN@@#@   ,-~\*£§@##
##¤$%/»,..   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS$KNOWLEDGE\~   ..,»/%$¤##
@&@%==,¨¨.   =~BEING ~ STOLEN -= FROM =~« THEM. ¨   .¨¨,==%@&@
#@#$%:«..¨          ~- ¨  »-- ¨  =¨  ~«  »          ¨..«:%$#@#
##¶&$%\~:¨    ,   ,-          ^                ,    ¨:~\%$&¶##
###$††~.¨,        .      .          .      %        ,¨.~††$###
¶@$^=».,¨,                                          ,¨,.»=^$@¶
##§&*/~,.¨                    ¨#,                   ¨.,~/*&§##
##¶§¤**~~,                                          ,~~**¤§¶##
#£@$==-,.¨                   AND,                   ¨.,-==$@£#
£§§*:~,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,~:*§§£
#@@§§:~:¨¨  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ¨¨:~:§§@@#
##££*†==-,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,-==†*££##
#£§%$†~.¨.                                          .¨.~†$%§£#
#&%§\~~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~~\§%&#
##@%=;»,,.                                          .,,»;=%@##
##@¤$$;~^,                                          ,^~;$$¤@##
#£¤@^:~^¨.                                          .¨^~:^@¤£#