¨~«=*§§¤¤#                                          #¤¤§§*=«~¨
¨~«=*§¤###                                          ###¤§*=«~¨
¨~«=§¤####                                          ####¤§=«~¨
¨¨¨¨~=§§§#                                          #§§§=~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨«==§§#                                          #§§==«¨¨¨¨
¨~«=*§¤###         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ###¤§*=«~¨
¨~«=*§¤###         = 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.  #@@¤¤*^«.,
.^»^$$&###        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ###&$$^»^.
,.=^§£¤@@#                                          #@@¤£§^=.,
.,=/%§¤£@#                                          #@£¤§%/=,.
.--=*;$#¤¤                                          ¤¤#$;*=--.
,¨¨,.¨»%$£                                          £$%»¨.,¨¨,
.-~:=§####                                          ####§=:~-.