¨¨¨¨¨.~†*&                                          &*†~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~†*                                          *†~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~†                                          †~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~                                          ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         † 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.        =.¨..¨,.,.
.¨,..,..¨^                                          ^¨..,..,¨.
,¨¨.¨¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨¨.¨¨,
.,¨.¨,.¨..                                          ..¨.,¨.¨,.
¨¨¨¨¨,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,¨¨¨¨¨
,.,.¨,,,,.                                          .,,,,¨.,.,