##¶&%*\«-.                                          .-«\*%&¶##
#¶&%*\«-..                                          ..-«\*%&¶#
¶&%*\«-...                                          ...-«\*%&¶
&%*\«-....                                          ....-«\*%&
%*\«-.....                                          .....-«\*%
*\«-......         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ......-«\*
%*\«-.....         \ 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.       .¨~~=§$&£#
###&£=/«^¨                                          ¨^«/=£&###
@@¤£§/~,.¨                                          ¨.,~/§£¤@@
£§£*\~..¨,                                          ,¨..~\*£§£
§*=†~.¨,,,                                          ,,,¨.~†=*§
**/«,,,...                                          ...,,,«/**