¨¨¨¨¨¨¨=§#                                          #§=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=**§#                                          #§**=¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=*§%#@##                                          ##@#%§*=,¨
¨¨¨¨,*%#@#                                          #@#%*,¨¨¨¨
¨¨,===**§#                                          #§**===,¨¨
¨,=*§%#@##         # ==================== #         ##@#%§*=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=§#@         * 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.  #@@¤*†;»,,
.^«†%$£@§@        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       @§@£$%†«^.
¨,»†%%¤#@#                                          #@#¤%%†»,¨
,^«;$%#¶##                                          ##¶#%$;«^,
,~»=%$&£#@                                          @#£&$%=»~,
¨.«*§$£@##                                          ##@£$§*«.¨
¨--\$$####                                          ####$$\--¨