¨,=†=$####                                          ####$=†=,¨
¨¨,=†=$###                                          ###$=†=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=†=$##                                          ##$=†=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=†=$#                                          #$=†=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=†=$                                          $=†=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=†=         # ==================== #         =†=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=†         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         †=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         =,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=†         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         †=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=†=         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         =†=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=†=$         †  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. .   ¤$††-~¨.¨.
,¨,.,:~^†£          ~» ¨  »»= .  =¨  :=  «          £†^~:,.,¨,
.¨,,,.:»^*    ,   ~^          ~                ¨    *^»:.,,,¨.
.¨¨,.,¨.-\        ,      ,          .      %        \-.¨,.,¨¨.
.,¨,.¨.,:-                                          -:,.¨.,¨,.
..,,¨¨.~-:                   ¨#.                    :-~.¨¨,,..
,...,¨:«†=                                          =†«:¨,...,
¨..¨¨.~†%§                   AND,                   §%†~.¨¨..¨
¨¨..:=;$¤§                                          §¤$;=:..¨¨
¨¨,.-\%%&@  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  @&%%\-.,¨¨
.,~=**%££#       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        #££%**=~,.
,,~=*%£@##                                          ##@£%*=~,,
.¨,~:$£§#@                                          @#§£$:~,¨.
¨,¨,»^%%#@                                          @#%%^»,¨,¨
¨¨¨,~~:$£@                                          @£$:~~,¨¨¨
,.¨¨,^~†%¤                                          ¤%†~^,¨¨.,