......~«†^                                          ^†«~......
.......~«†                                          †«~.......
........~«                                          «~........
.......~«†                                          †«~.......
......~«†^                                          ^†«~......
.....~«†^%         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         %^†«~.....
....~«†^%§         † 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.        $^;-^¨¨.,¨
.,¨¨,,~~==                                          ==~~,,¨¨,.
,,,¨.,.^«\                                          \«^.,.¨,,,
..¨..¨¨,^~                                          ~^,¨¨..¨..
¨¨¨,,¨¨,~;                                          ;~,¨¨,,¨¨¨
,¨¨...^»^%                                          %^»^...¨¨,