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