¨-=*†£££##                                          ##£££†*=-¨
¨-=*†£££##                                          ##£££†*=-¨
¨¨¨¨¨-*†££                                          ££†*-¨¨¨¨¨
¨-=*†£££##                                          ##£££†*=-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-*££                                          ££*-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨==*†££         # ==================== #         ££†*==¨¨¨¨
¨-=*†£££##         * 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,                   ##@@$%†~~,
,~~\=¤####                                          ####¤=\~~,
,.«:%£####  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ####£%:«.,
.¨,,,.«§##       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ##§«.,,,¨.
¨-«;%$*§&#                                          #&§*$%;«-¨
.,~/*%####                                          ####%*/~,.
.¨-~-~:@£&                                          &£@:~-~-¨.
.:~^%%&@@#                                          #@@&%%^~:.
,:~;=@&#@@                                          @@#&@=;~:,