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