,,,,,,-§§#                                          #§§-,,,,,,
,:-:§£§£##                                          ##£§£§:-:,
,,::-:§§§£                                          £§§§:-::,,
,:-:§£§§§£                                          £§§§£§:-:,
,:-:§£§§§£                                          £§§§£§:-:,
,:-:§£§£##         # -------------------- #         ##£§£§:-:,
,,::--§§§§         : 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.  @£$^=,.¨¨.
.^-^=§#@##       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ##@#§=^-^.
¨,...-$##¶                                          ¶##$-...,¨
¨,¨¨,==$&@                                          @&$==,¨¨,¨
¨^~==§£@¶#                                          #¶@£§==~^¨
..~==@¤###                                          ###¤@==~..
,^~\†£&¶##                                          ##¶&£†\~^,