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