..-«;†@¶@#                                          #@¶@†;«-..
...-«;†@¶@                                          @¶@†;«-...
....-«;†@¶                                          ¶@†;«-....
.....-«;†@                                          @†;«-.....
......-«;†                                          †;«-......
.....-«;†@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @†;«-.....
....-«;†@¶         ; 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##@#   #¶@$^~:,¨¨
,¨.===####   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS=KNOWLEDGE/~   ####===.¨,
¨,»:†§£@##   --BEING « STOLEN «~ FROM «»« THEM. .   ##@£§†:»,¨
.¨-»=§@@@#          »= ¨  ~~= .  ~¨  ~»  «          #@@@§=»-¨.
¨¨,~«;^¤@#    ^   ,^          ,                ,    #@¤^;«~,¨¨
,,¨¨,=^§##        .      ¨          .      %        ##§^=,¨¨,,
,..¨.,»\%§                                          §%\»,.¨..,
..¨,¨¨:~;*                    .#.                   *;~:¨¨,¨..
¨,.¨,.~*^¤                                          ¤^*~.,¨.,¨
¨¨,,,-\†@#                   AND,                   #@†\-,,,¨¨
,.,~=**££#                                          #££**=~,.,
¨,^«*%¤@##  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ##@¤%*«^,¨
.:~:=¤£@##       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ##@£¤=:~:.
,.^«:$¤#@#                                          #@#¤$:«^.,
,,¨,=†%§##                                          ##§%†=,¨,,
¨,,,~===§#                                          #§===~,,,¨
¨¨,,.^-/†@                                          @†/-^.,,¨¨
...¨..-»\§                                          §\»-..¨...