¨¨¨:††**§#                                          #§**††:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«*§                                          §*«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:«†*%§###                                          ###§%*†«:¨
¨¨¨::«**§#                                          #§**«::¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«*%§§                                          §§%*«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«***§         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         §***«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:†*%§         † 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. ,   ##£&%*\-.,
,~~\†$@&@£          ~« .  =~~ .  «,  :~  ~          £@&@$†\~~,
,¨¨¨,~/%&£    -   ,~          ~                .    £&%/~,¨¨¨,
¨.~^=$@###        ¨      ,          ,      $        ###@$=^~.¨
,¨.¨../^@£                                          £@^/..¨.¨,
,,=†$&#@##                    ,#.                   ##@#&$†=,,
,¨¨.¨»$£&£                                          £&£$»¨.¨¨,
,:=*%£¤#@#                   AND,                   #@#¤£%*=:,
.^«†^%£#@#                                          #@#£%^†«^.
¨¨¨.:»*§¤#  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  #¤§*»:.¨¨¨
¨.,~.\*%¤#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #¤%*\.~,.¨
,¨¨,,==%@¶                                          ¶@%==,,¨¨,
,.»=^¤&@##                                          ##@&¤^=».,
.,=;$%¤@##                                          ##@¤%$;=,.
,^~^*&@#@#                                          #@#@&*^~^,
¨:«:**¤¤@#                                          #@¤¤**:«:¨