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