.....:*§££                                          ££§*:.....
.:«*§$£¶@@                                          @@¶£$§*«:.
.:«*§$$£¶¶                                          ¶¶£$$§*«:.
....«§$$$£                                          £$$$§«....
.:«*§£¶@##                                          ##@¶£§*«:.
.:«*§$£@##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##@£$§*«:.
.:::«**$£@         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         @£$**«:::.
.:«*§$£@##         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         ##@£$§*«:.
:«*§$£¶@##         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         ##@¶£$§*«:
....«*§$££         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ££$§*«....
:«*§$£¶@##         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         ##@¶£$§*«:
.:«*§$£¶@#  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, #@¶£$§*«:.
.:«*§$£¶@#  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  #@¶£$§*«:.
.:«*§$£¶@#         *        AT ALL...     *         #@¶£$§*«:.
...:«§$££@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @££$§«:...
,.«†^%§#@#                                          #@#§%^†«.,
¨.¨¨,,†$*@     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     @*$†,,¨¨.¨
,--*%$¤@@#   LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK,   #@@¤$%*--,
¨,~=$$#@## FINDING INSTEAD ONLY STONE AND DIRT AND  ##@#$$=~,¨
.^=†§¤&#@@   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.        @¤%%;«.,,¨
,:~†^*&@@#                                          #@@&*^†~:,
,,«=**¤###                                          ###¤**=«,,
,^~^**#¶##                                          ##¶#**^~^,
¨.=^†$¤¤@#                                          #@¤¤$†^=.¨
.--/*§¤@##                                          ##@¤§*/--.