@,,@@@@@,,                                          @,@,@,,,,@
@,@,@@@@,,                                          @,@,@,,,@,
@,@,,@@@,,                                          @,@,@,,@@,
@,@,@,@@,,                                          @,@,@,@,@,
@,@,@,,@,,                                          @,@,@,@,@,
@,@,@,@@,,         # ==================== #         @,@,@,@,@,
@,@,@,,@,,         † 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.       §.@,¤.#.£.
@.§¨£¨¨¤¨#                                          £.@.£,@¨§,
#.&.#¨£¤,§                                          ¤¨§¨#¨&¨@,
#¨§¨@..§¨§                                          #.£¨¤.§,&¨
@¨@.§¨¤&.@                                          &.§,#,@.§.
#.&¨£,.£,¤                                          £¨&,§,#,¤¨