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