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