#£††*-,,,,                                          ,,,,-*††£#
###£$†*«-,                                          ,-«*†$£###
###£$†*«-,                                          ,-«*†$£###
###£$†*«-,                                          ,-«*†$£###
#£†*«-,,,,                                          ,,,,-«*†£#
£$*--,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,--*$£
£$†«--,,,,         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         ,,,,--«†$£
#£$†*«--,,         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         ,,--«*†$£#
#£$**««--,         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         ,--««**$£#
###£$†*«-,         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ,-«*†$£###
#£†*-,,,,,         *  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.       ,-=^§*§@¶#
#¤^$=-¨,.,                                          ,.,¨-=$^¤#
#@*†»»,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,»»†*@#
#@@&@§:~,,                                          ,,~:§@&@@#
££&#$=†-,¨                                          ¨,-†=$#&££
##@&¤%\~^.                                          .^~\%¤&@##