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