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