¨,«;*§&@##                                          ##@&§*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*§&@#                                          #@&§*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*§&@##                                          ##@&§*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*§&@#                                          #@&§*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*§&@##                                          ##@&§*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*§&@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@&§*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*§&@##         ; 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.        ##@@†:»-,.
,^«\=¤¤#@#                                          #@#¤¤=\«^,
¨.~»=*$&##                                          ##&$*=»~.¨
.,~:§£&¶@#                                          #@¶&£§:~,.
..^=:§@&@#                                          #@&@§:=^..
¨,«\%§¤@@#                                          #@@¤§%\«,¨