#@&$$$=».¨                                          ¨.»=$$$&@#
#&$=..¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨..=$&#
@£$$$»».¨¨                                          ¨¨.»»$$$£@
##@&£$=».¨                                          ¨.»=$£&@##
###&£$=».¨                                          ¨.»=$£&###
@£$$»¨¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨¨»$$£@
##@&£$=».¨         = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS =         ¨.»=$£&@##
###@&$=».¨         = IN A STALE TIMELINE, =         ¨.»=$&@###
###&£$=».¨         =  BRANCHED WAY BACK   =         ¨.»=$£&###
&$$$=»¨¨¨¨         =  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  =         ¨¨¨¨»=$$$&
#&£$$=.¨¨¨         =  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  =         ¨¨¨.=$$£&#
&&$»¨¨¨¨¨¨  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¨¨¨¨¨¨»$&&
##@&£$=».¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨.»=$£&@##
#&&$$».¨¨¨         =        AT ALL...     =         ¨¨¨.»$$&&#
##@&£$=».¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨.»=$£&@##
##@§$=^=,¨                                          ¨,=^=$§@##
##@§@%^»~,     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,                   ,,~†$§@@@#
#&†«=^¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨^=«†&#
##£&§%^«~,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,~«^%§&£##
@&&%=¨¨¨..        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ..¨¨¨=%&&@
##£§£%*=~¨                                          ¨~=*%£§£##
#@@@&$\~-¨                                          ¨-~\$&@@@#
###¤£*;»:¨                                          ¨:»;*£¤###
#£=,,::¨.¨                                          ¨.¨::,,=£#
#§^*:..,..                                          ..,..:*^§#