#@£%===,¨¨                                          ¨¨,===%£@#
##@£%===,¨                                          ¨,===%£@##
#@£%===,¨¨                                          ¨¨,===%£@#
@£%===,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,===%£@
£%===,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,===%£
%===,¨¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨¨,===%
£%===,¨¨¨¨         = 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,                   ,¨:«/%$###
##£=\»,..¨                                          ¨..,»\=£##
#£^†~:...,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,...:~†^£#
**/«-¨,.,,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,,.,¨-«/**
£§%:~..,,,                                          ,,,..~:%§£
#@*^†=,,¨.                                          .¨,,=†^*@#
#¶££=:~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~:=££¶#
##¶¤$*†~-,                                          ,-~†*$¤¶##
@¶@£†;~:¨,                                          ,¨:~;†£@¶@