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