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