§,,,,,,,§,                                          §,,,§,,,,§
§§,,,,,,,§                                          ,§,,,§,,,§
,§§,,,,,,,                                          ,,§,,,§,,§
,§§§,,,,,,                                          ,,,§,,,§,,
,§,§§,,,,,                                          ,,,,§,,,§,
,,,§§§,,,,         # ==================== #         §,,,,§,,,§
§,,§,§§,,,         † 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.        ¤&&.,,,¤.¨
,,#¨,¤,¤§.                                          ¤.#¤¨¨,¨@,
.¨.&.,,¤@£                                          ¨,#&#.,.,§
£..¨&.,£.£                                          ¨,§,#@,.,,
,§¨.,§.¨.¤                                          #¨¨¨@@£¨,,
.,&¨,,¤¨,¤                                          &§¨,@,§#..