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