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