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