.§.§.§..§§                                          §.§§..§.§.
§§.§.§.§.§                                          §..§.§§.§.
.§.§.§.§..                                          §.§§..§.§.
§§.§.§.§.§                                          §..§.§§.§.
.§.§.§.§..                                          §.§§..§.§.
§§.§.§.§.§         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         §..§.§§.§.
.§.§.§.§..         † 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.       ¤,,&.§£.@,
,¤¨&¨§¨¤.,                                          £,&&,.@.@.
@£,#,£,#,£                                          ¤.,§¨&&¨&.
.&¨£.§¨&.,                                          @¨§&,¨£¨¤,
#£.#¨@¨&¨§                                          @..£,@@¨#,
,£.@.&,§.,                                          #,£#,¨#¨&,