¨-==†£§¶¶#                                          #¶¶§£†==-¨
¨¨¨¨==£§§¶                                          ¶§§£==¨¨¨¨
¨-==†£§¶##                                          ##¶§£†==-¨
¨-==†£§¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶§£†==-¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=£§§                                          §§£=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-==£§§         # ==================== #         §§£==-¨¨¨¨
¨-==†£§¶##         = 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,                   @@@%$~-.,.
¨.,~-««*§@                                          @§*««-~,.¨
¨--:%%£¶##  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ##¶£%%:--¨
.^»*†££@##       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ##@££†*»^.
¨¨.^«§&@@@                                          @@@&§«^.¨¨
¨,-**$@@¶@                                          @¶@@$**-,¨
.-»=*@£###                                          ###£@*=»-.
¨--**£#£##                                          ##£#£**--¨
..~*$@#@@#                                          #@@#@$*~..