#@¶§£%^=-,                                          ,-=^%£§¶@#
#@¶§£%^=-,                                          ,-=^%£§¶@#
¶§§§£%^=-,                                          ,-=^%£§§§¶
#@¶§£%^=-,                                          ,-=^%£§¶@#
§§§§£%^=-,                                          ,-=^%£§§§§
#@¶§£%^=-,         # ==================== #         ,-=^%£§¶@#
§§££^===-,         ^ 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.        .,¨¨.~;=¤#
@£=»,..,¨,                                          ,¨,..,»=£@
#@§§;~,,¨.                                          .¨,,~;§§@#
#&¤&£%†~,,                                          ,,~†%£&¤&#
£$¤/^~,^,,                                          ,,^,~^/¤$£
##@§£§/-.,                                          ,.-/§£§@##