##§§¤%†~.¨                                          ¨.~†%¤§§##
§§¤††††~.¨                                          ¨.~††††¤§§
@#§§¤%†~.¨                                          ¨.~†%¤§§#@
#@#§¤%†~.¨                                          ¨.~†%¤§#@#
#@#§¤%†~.¨                                          ¨.~†%¤§#@#
#§%~.¨¨¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨¨¨.~%§#
@#§§¤%†~.¨         † 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.  ,^~†%%£@@#
###&¤$/~,¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨,~/$¤&###
@##@&††~,,                                          ,,~††&@##@
#§%$§†\~.¨                                          ¨.~\†§$%§#
§*%«~»-.¨¨                                          ¨¨.-»~«%*§
#¤^\=.~^..                                          ..^~.=\^¤#
##£&§*/--,                                          ,--/*§&£##