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