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