¶#§*/~,,,,                                          ,,,,~/*§#¶
#§*/~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~/*§#
§*/~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~/*§
*/~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~/*
§*/~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~/*§
#§*/~,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,~/*§#
¶#§*/~,,,,         / 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.  ,~~:%££###
@@@$=*«^¨.        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       .¨^«*=$@@@
@¤§*:»:.,.                                          .,.:»:*§¤@
£%%†»:.¨.,                                          ,.¨.:»†%%£
¤%/»~.,,..                                          ..,,.~»/%¤
%^=:...¨,.                                          .,¨...:=^%
%*^~,.¨..,                                          ,..¨.,~^*%