..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........~                                          ~.........
........~†         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         †~........
.......~†%         † 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.        †»-.,,.¨¨¨
,¨,.¨,.,:-                                          -:,.,¨.,¨,
¨.¨,¨,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,¨,¨.¨
...,.¨¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨¨.,...
,¨,,....¨.                                          .¨....,,¨,
..¨.¨¨¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨¨¨.¨..