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