#@@#**:-~¨                                          ¨~-:**#@@#
@@#**:-~¨¨                                          ¨¨~-:**#@@
@#**:-~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~-:**#@
#**:-~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~-:**#
**:-~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~-:**
#**:-~¨¨¨¨         # -------------------- #         ¨¨¨¨~-:**#
@#**:-~¨¨¨         : 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.       ...¨:-**%§
#&$%\~^¨.,                                          ,.¨^~\%$&#
#¶¤£†\=,¨.                                          .¨,=\†£¤¶#
###¤§*=»..                                          ..»=*§¤###
@#&&%/-,¨,                                          ,¨,-/%&&#@
##$*=~.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.~=*$##