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