......,«;†                                          †;«,......
.......,«;                                          ;«,.......
........,«                                          «,........
.......,«;                                          ;«,.......
......,«;†                                          †;«,......
.....,«;†¤         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¤†;«,.....
....,«;†¤&         ; 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.        *%/=,¨.,¨.
¨,..,¨,»*%                                          %*»,¨,..,¨
¨¨¨¨.¨¨:~^                                          ^~:¨¨.¨¨¨¨
¨.,¨..¨,:-                                          -:,¨..¨,.¨
.,..,.,:~\                                          \~:,.,..,.
,,.¨¨.-=:^                                          ^:=-.¨¨.,,