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