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