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