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