,,,,,,,,--                                          --,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,--:                                          :--,,,,,,,
,,,,,,--:%                                          %:--,,,,,,
,,,,,--:%%                                          %%:--,,,,,
,,,,--:%%§                                          §%%:--,,,,
,,,--:%%§#         # -------------------- #         #§%%:--,,,
,,--:%%§##         : 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.        ,.,,¨¨.¨..
¨¨.¨¨¨¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨¨¨¨.¨¨
.¨..¨,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,¨..¨.
...,....,¨                                          ¨,....,...
¨,¨.,¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨,.¨,¨
...¨,,....                                          ....,,¨...