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