####$$†=,¨                                          ¨,=†$$####
####$$†=,¨                                          ¨,=†$$####
#####$†=,¨                                          ¨,=†$#####
##$$†,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,†$$##
#####$†=,¨                                          ¨,=†$#####
#$$$†,¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨,†$$$#
####$$†=,¨         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ¨,=†$$####
####$$†=,¨         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ¨,=†$$####
##$$$$†=,¨         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         ¨,=†$$$$##
####$$†=,¨         †  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.       .:-\*@#£##
£@#£%=;»~,                                          ,~»;=%£#@£
#£#£&=\«-¨                                          ¨-«\=&£#£#
@@@¤$^=».¨                                          ¨.»=^$¤@@@
@££*==»--,                                          ,--»==*££@
#$=~^-¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨-^~=$#