,,:«;**&@#                                          #@&**;«:,,
,:«;**&@##                                          ##@&**;«:,
,,:«;**&@#                                          #@&**;«:,,
,,,:«;**&@                                          @&**;«:,,,
,,,,:«;**&                                          &**;«:,,,,
,,,,,:«;**         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         **;«:,,,,,
,,,,,,:«;*         ; 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#    $†»,.,¨¨,¨
.,,,¨.¨^~=  #*OF&#EXACTLY§¶HOW@THEY@HAD¤TRAVELED,£# =~^¨.¨,,,.
.,..¨,-~**   ##OF£THE#WAY#HOME££TO£THE@TIME#FROM¶¶  **~-,¨..,.
,.,.¨:~††§   #@WHERE#THEY#CAME,#@#@##@AND#THEN@@@#  §††~:¨.,.,
,,,.^-*%%¤   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS§KNOWLEDGE^-   ¤%%*-^.,,,
¨..,=^*%£#   »~BEING = STOLEN «= FROM --- THEM. ,   #£%*^=,..¨
¨.,-††¤##@          »~ ¨  -== ¨  ».  ,=  »          @##¤††-,.¨
¨,~†^§&@##    ^   ..          ,                .    ##@&§^†~,¨
..,«=*$@##        .      ¨          ,      %        ##@$*=«,..
¨.,,«**£&#                                          #&£**«,,.¨
.¨.,~«*=§&                    ,#¨                   &§=*«~,.¨.
,.¨,,:«**&                                          &**«:,,¨.,
.,...¨:«^†                   AND,                   †^«:¨...,.
..¨¨.¨.-~=                                          =~-.¨.¨¨..
¨.¨,.,.=^=  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  =^=.,.,¨.¨
¨¨.¨.^«:†£        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       £†:«^.¨.¨¨
,.¨.-«;=£¤                                          ¤£=;«-.¨.,
,,¨~«\=*¤@                                          @¤*=\«~¨,,
..-=:^$£¶#                                          #¶£$^:=-..
.-~\§%£¶##                                          ##¶£%§\~-.
..,~/†%§@@                                          @@§%†/~,..