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