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