##@#§§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§§#@##
##@#§§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§§#@##
##§=.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.=§##
@#§:.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.:§#@
@@#§§§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§§§#@@
###§§§:=.¨         # ==================== #         ¨.=:§§§###
@##§§§:=.¨         : 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.  ¨^,^~*$§@#
##@£¤%=-:¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨:-=%¤£@##
¤§^\-:¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨:-\^§¤
###&$*;».,                                          ,.»;*$&###
§@§**~..¨,                                          ,¨..~**§@§
#@#§$=*=,,                                          ,,=*=$§#@#
##&*\«¨,,,                                          ,,,¨«\*&##