..-~†=%#¶#                                          #¶#%=†~-..
.-~†=%#¶##                                          ##¶#%=†~-.
..-~†=%#¶#                                          #¶#%=†~-..
...-~†=%#¶                                          ¶#%=†~-...
....-~†=%#                                          #%=†~-....
.....-~†=%         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         %=†~-.....
......-~†=         † 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. ¨   $%/~.¨.,¨.
,,¨.,¨^~\=          ~» ,  =~- ¨  -.  :«  =          =\~^¨,.¨,,
¨,,,,¨.^=;    :   ~^          ,                .    ;=^.¨,,,,¨
.,¨¨¨...-~        ¨      ¨          ,      *        ~-...¨¨¨,.
,.¨.,¨...~                                          ~...¨,.¨.,
,,¨.,¨,¨.¨                   .#¨                    ¨.¨,¨,.¨,,
,¨..,.¨,¨:                                          :¨,¨.,..¨,
.¨,¨,,,,,-                   AND,                   -,,,,,¨,¨.
...,¨,.,»;                                          ;»,.,¨,...
.¨¨.¨..»†^  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ^†»..¨.¨¨.
¨,¨,.~=^^@        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       @^^=~.,¨,¨
¨¨¨,^-/%$£                                          £$%/-^,¨¨¨
¨...«^*%##                                          ##%*^«...¨
,,,-\§&§@#                                          #@§&§\-,,,
,-«^*$£@@#                                          #@@£$*^«-,
¨¨~==%$§##                                          ##§$%==~¨¨