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