¨,«†%§&@##                                          ##@&§%†«,¨
¨,«†%§&@##                                          ##@&§%†«,¨
¨¨¨¨,««%%&                                          &%%««,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,†§&@#                                          #@&§†,¨¨¨¨
¨,«†%§&&&@                                          @&&&§%†«,¨
¨,«†%§&###         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ###&§%†«,¨
¨,«†%§&@##         † 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.        §£$;=.¨¨¨.
¨^~:†§&@##                                          ##@&§†:~^¨
,-~/=*&¤¤#                                          #¤¤&*=/~-,
,,-/%£§¶##                                          ##¶§£%/-,,
¨,~*^@&¤@#                                          #@¤&@^*~,¨
.¨¨,,,~;%#                                          #%;~,,,¨¨.