##¶§$%^=:¨                                          ¨:=^%$§¶##
#¶§$%^=:¨¨                                          ¨¨:=^%$§¶#
¶§$%^=:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:=^%$§¶
§$%^=:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:=^%$§
¶§$%^=:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:=^%$§¶
#¶§$%^=:¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨:=^%$§¶#
##¶§$%^=:¨         ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^         ¨:=^%$§¶##
#¶§$%^=:¨¨         ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^         ¨¨:=^%$§¶#
¶§$%^=:¨¨¨         ^  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ^         ¨¨¨:=^%$§¶
§$%^=:¨¨¨¨         ^  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ^         ¨¨¨¨:=^%$§
¶§$%^=:¨¨¨         ^  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ^         ¨¨¨:=^%$§¶
#¶§$%^=:¨¨  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¨¨:=^%$§¶#
##¶§$%^=:¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨:=^%$§¶##
#¶§$%^=:¨¨         ^        AT ALL...     ^         ¨¨:=^%$§¶#
¶§$%^=:¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨:=^%$§¶
§¤%*~:,,.¨                                          ¨.,,:~*%¤§
#££%:«.¨..     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.       .¨¨¨:=^$£¤
£§%§\=:,¨¨                                          ¨¨,:=\§%§£
#¶¤¤^^--¨¨                                          ¨¨--^^¤¤¶#
##£@%†/~^.                                          .^~/†%@£##
#¶¤¤%^«,.,                                          ,.,«^%¤¤¶#
@@@^:=~.,¨                                          ¨,.~=:^@@@