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