£§^=^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^=^§£
§^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^§
£§^=^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^=^§£
££§^=^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^=^§££
@££§^=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=^§££@
#@££§^=^¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨^=^§££@#
##@££§^=^¨         ^ 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£@  ¨~=^^$¤@##
#@££%\»,,.  #¶WHERE@THEY@CAME,@##@#@@AND#THEN@###   .,,»\%££@#
@£%%:«,,.¨   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS=KNOWLEDGE:=   ¨.,,«:%%£@
£**†~,,¨..   --BEING - STOLEN ~~ FROM -=- THEM. .   ..¨,,~†**£
@§^«,¨.,¨.          -- .  =«« .  -.  .~  «          .¨,.¨,«^§@
†\»:.,¨¨¨,    ~   ~,          .                ¨    ,¨¨¨,.:»\†
§^^~~,...¨        ,      ,          .      =        ¨...,~~^^§
#%=:=-¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨-=:=%#
#££%*«,.¨¨                    .#¨                   ¨¨.,«*%££#
#@¤§*=»:¨,                                          ,¨:»=*§¤@#
##@@%§*~,¨                   AND,                   ¨,~*§%@@##
#@&$=/»-.¨                                          ¨.-»/=$&@#
@§§§/~~..,  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ,..~~/§§§@
¤£†;~,,¨,,        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ,,¨,,~;†£¤
£§^«:.¨¨..                                          ..¨¨.:«^§£
*†~,..,¨,.                                          .,¨,..,~†*
¤%/~,¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨,~/%¤
§@^†~^,.,,                                          ,,.,^~†^@§
@§§$/-^¨.¨                                          ¨.¨^-/$§§@