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