#¶£*:-,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,-:*£¶#
¶£*:-,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,-:*£¶
#¶£*:-,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,-:*£¶#
##¶£*:-,¨¨                                          ¨¨,-:*£¶##
###¶£*:-,¨                                          ¨,-:*£¶###
##¶£*:-,¨¨         # -------------------- #         ¨¨,-:*£¶##
#¶£*:-,¨¨¨         : 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.        ..--:^*@##
###£%*†»^¨                                          ¨^»†*%£###
##@¤†*=:..                                          ..:=*†¤@##
#@@$*~~¨,,                                          ,,¨~~*$@@#
@£*;~~.,,¨                                          ¨,,.~~;*£@
##@†/-~¨¨,                                          ,¨¨~-/†@##