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