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