§..§.§..§.                                          §.§.§.§..§
§.§§.§.§§.                                          §.§.§.§.§.
§..§.§..§.                                          §.§.§.§.§.
§.§§.§.§§.                                          §.§.§.§.§.
§..§.§..§.                                          §.§.§.§.§.
§.§§.§.§§.         # ==================== #         §.§.§.§.§.
§..§.§..§.         ^ 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.       @¨¤.£¨@.&¨
§..¤,@¨,&¨                                          §¨£¨§.£,@,
§.&@,§.#&,                                          #,£¨£¨¤.§,
&.¨§,&,,¤.                                          @,&,¤¨#¨#¨
§.&#.@¨&¤,                                          §¨§¨¤.£¨§¨
#¨,¤¨§,¨&¨                                          §,§¨§.@,¤.