¨,«:§¤¤§@@                                          @@§¤¤§:«,¨
¨,«:§¤§@##                                          ##@§¤§:«,¨
¨,«:§¤§@##                                          ##@§¤§:«,¨
¨,«:::§¤@#                                          #@¤§:::«,¨
¨,«:§¤¤¤@#                                          #@¤¤¤§:«,¨
¨,«:§§@###         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ###@§§:«,¨
¨,«:§§@###         : 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.        &§%%»~,¨¨.
,¨,¨:=*@§@                                          @§@*=:¨,¨,
,¨,,.=*%§@                                          @§%*=.,,¨,
¨~-~~~*$#£                                          £#$*~~~-~¨
¨,~^§%#¶##                                          ##¶#%§^~,¨
¨.»*†%¤###                                          ###¤%†*».¨