@££**$/«^¨                                          ¨^«/$**££@
@@*/««¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨««/*@@
@@@£*$/«^¨                                          ¨^«/$*£@@@
@@@£*$/«^¨                                          ¨^«/$*£@@@
#@@£*$/«^¨                                          ¨^«/$*£@@#
@£££*$/«^¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨^«/$*£££@
@£$$//«¨¨¨         / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS /         ¨¨¨«//$$£@
##@@£*/«^¨         / 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.       ¨,~\*@§@##
#@@¤¤*==:,                                          ,:==*¤¤@@#
##¶§$$*»:,                                          ,:»*$$§¶##
##£&£^*=,¨                                          ¨,=*^£&£##
###@&%;~:.                                          .:~;%&@###
#£*/«~:,¨¨                                          ¨¨,:~«/*£#