,,«†%$¶@##                                          ##@¶$%†«,,
,,,«†%$¶@#                                          #@¶$%†«,,,
,,«†%$¶@##                                          ##@¶$%†«,,
,,,«†%$¶@#                                          #@¶$%†«,,,
,,«†%$¶@##                                          ##@¶$%†«,,
,,,«†%$¶@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@¶$%†«,,,
,,«†%$¶@##         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ##@¶$%†«,,
,,,«†%$¶@#         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         #@¶$%†«,,,
,,«†%$¶@##         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         ##@¶$%†«,,
,,,«†%$¶@#         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         #@¶$%†«,,,
,,«†%$¶@##         †  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  †         ##@¶$%†«,,
,,,«†%$¶@# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  #@¶$%†«,,,
,,«†%$¶@##  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ##@¶$%†«,,
,,,«†%$¶@#         †        AT ALL...     †         #@¶$%†«,,,
,,«†%$¶@##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##@¶$%†«,,
.,:~\†$@##                                          ##@$†\~:,.
.,~;§§¶###     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.       ##¶£$/=-¨.
,~-/=¤@###                                          ###@¤=/-~,
..,«/§$###                                          ###$§/«,..
¨.«**$####                                          ####$**«.¨
¨¨:=/*§@@#                                          #@@§*/=:¨¨
,~~/*%@###                                          ###@%*/~~,