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