#££££**«:,                                          ,:«**££££#
#£**:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:**£#
££££*«:::,                                          ,:::«*££££
#£**:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:**£#
###££**«:,                                          ,:«**££###
###££**«:,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,:«**££###
££***«:,,,         * 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.        ¨^«:§£¤@##
&@@*^^,,¨,                                          ,¨,,^^*@@&
####@*=~,.                                          .,~=*@####
##@£&¤*\~.                                          .~\*¤&£@##
§&%«~.¨...                                          ...¨.~«%&§
##¤=~¨¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨¨~=¤##