,.~;%¤§###                                          ###§¤%;~.,
,,.~;%¤§##                                          ##§¤%;~.,,
,.~;%¤§###                                          ###§¤%;~.,
,,.~;%¤§##                                          ##§¤%;~.,,
,.~;%¤§###                                          ###§¤%;~.,
,,.~;%¤§##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##§¤%;~.,,
,.~;%¤§###         ; 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,$#  #@¤¤^/~,,,
.,«:%£@@@#   #£OF§THE@WAY¶HOME#@TO@THE#TIME£FROM#@  #@@@£%:«,.
¨.^«;%£@@#   ##WHERE@THEY#CAME,#@##@@#AND#THEN@#@#  #@@£%;«^.¨
¨^»†=%@@##   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE\«   ##@@%=†»^¨
.,:«/%@&£#   »=BEING = STOLEN ~» FROM ~~» THEM. ,   #£&@%/«:,.
..=\^£####          ~= ¨  ~»~ ¨  -¨  ,«  =          ####£^\=..
,,,~\%$§##    ,   ~^          ,                ¨    ##§$%\~,,,
..~\%@#£##        .      ¨          ¨      *        ##£#@%\~..
.,~«/=%£¶#                                          #¶£%=/«~,.
¨.~††¤&@##                   ¨#,                    ##@&¤††~.¨
.¨,«*%%£¶#                                          #¶£%%*«,¨.
¨.~*§@@¶@#                   AND,                   #@¶@@§*~.¨
,,~~\*%£@#                                          #@£%*\~~,,
,.~†^%¤###  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ###¤%^†~.,
..,~:†@#@#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #@#@†:~,..
.:-;†§@@##                                          ##@@§†;-:.
.,,-=*$@¶#                                          #¶@$*=-,,.
¨-»;=££@@#                                          #@@££=;»-¨
¨¨^~\%£¤#@                                          @#¤£%\~^¨¨
¨,==%%§#@#                                          #@#§%%==,¨