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