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