&%%†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†%%&
@&%%†~,,,,                                          ,,,,~†%%&@
#@&%%†~,,,                                          ,,,~†%%&@#
##@&%%†~,,                                          ,,~†%%&@##
#@&%%†~,,,                                          ,,,~†%%&@#
@&%%†~,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,~†%%&@
&%%†~,,,,,         † 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.  .,,¨,,^»**
£$^»^.,.,,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,,.,.^»^$£
#**=~.,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,.~=**#
@£%%;«-,,.                                          .,,-«;%%£@
##¤$^^~~¨.                                          .¨~~^^$¤##
##@§*§=-.,                                          ,.-=§*§@##
##@%*:-,..                                          ..,-:*%@##