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