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