¨~«\$&§@##                                          ##@§&$\«~¨
¨¨¨~«\\&&§                                          §&&\\«~¨¨¨
¨~«\$&§§@@                                          @@§§&$\«~¨
¨~«\$&§§@#                                          #@§§&$\«~¨
¨¨¨~~~\\$§                                          §$\\~~~¨¨¨
¨~«\$&§@##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##@§&$\«~¨
¨~«\$&§@##         \ 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#£   @$%†=-,,¨¨
..¨::~:†*£  #¶WHERE#THEY#CAME,#@#@#@#AND#THEN####   £*†:~::¨..
¨~-*/%%£@#   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE/«   #@£%%/*-~¨
¨:~»/\†=#@   ~»BEING « STOLEN =» FROM ~=~ THEM. ,   @#=†\/»~:¨
.^~/*£&¶##          ~« ¨  »~~ ,  ~¨  ~=  ~          ##¶&£*/~^.
.,«†=#@###    ,   .:          -                ¨    ###@#=†«,.
.,~,^:$%¤&        ¨      .          ¨      §        &¤%$:^,~,.
.-=;*&#@£#                                          #£@#&*;=-.
.¨:./^%$@#                   .#¨                    #@$%^/.:¨.
,.¨¨.-~$@#                                          #@$~-.¨¨.,
..~:%%§###                   AND,                   ###§%%:~..
..,«;†/$&£                                          £&$/†;«,..
,~=:*¤@@##  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ##@@¤*:=~,
,^»\%§@@##        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ##@@§%\»^,
¨,.¨,\£@¤£                                          £¤@£\,¨.,¨
,,»\†$#@##                                          ##@#$†\»,,
¨-«/**&£##                                          ##£&**/«-¨
.,.¨¨,=£#£                                          £#£=,¨¨.,.
¨:«»=»*%#@                                          @#%*»=»«:¨