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