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