¨,-*=%####                                          ####%=*-,¨
¨¨,-*=%###                                          ###%=*-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-*=%##                                          ##%=*-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-*=%###                                          ###%=*-,¨¨
¨,-*=%####                                          ####%=*-,¨
¨¨,-*=%###         # -------------------- #         ###%=*-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-*=%##         * 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.  #@#@*=†~^¨
¨,.»†%$£@#       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        #@£$%†».,¨
..,^»==%#@                                          @#%==»^,..
,.,~**@¤##                                          ##¤@**~,.,
.,«†=%§£##                                          ##£§%=†«,.
¨¨.=;$¤&¶#                                          #¶&¤$;=.¨¨
.,,,=^†¤¤#                                          #¤¤†^=,,,.