,,,,:«^=§#                                          #§=^«:,,,,
,,,,,:«^=§                                          §=^«:,,,,,
,,,,,,:«^=                                          =^«:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«^                                          ^«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:«                                          «:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«^         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ^«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:«^=         ^ 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.        £§¤*:~..,,
¨.¨¨~~=^%£                                          £%^=~~¨¨.¨
¨.¨,¨^=/%@                                          @%/=^¨,¨.¨
,..¨..,~/§                                          §/~,..¨..,
..,.¨¨,.«^                                          ^«.,¨¨.,..
,..¨¨,.¨.«                                          «.¨.,¨¨..,