¨¨¨~=$$§#¶                                          ¶#§$$=~¨¨¨
¨¨¨==//§#@                                          @#§//==¨¨¨
¨~=/$§#¶@@                                          @@¶#§$/=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨=$#                                          #$=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=/$§#¶@#                                          #@¶#§$/=~¨
¨~=/$§¶@##         # ==================== #         ##@¶§$/=~¨
¨¨~==$§§§¶         / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS /         ¶§§§$==~¨¨
¨~=/$§#¶@#         / IN A STALE TIMELINE, /         #@¶#§$/=~¨
¨~=////$$#         /  BRANCHED WAY BACK   /         #$$////=~¨
¨¨~===$$§#         /  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  /         #§$$===~¨¨
¨~=/$§#¶@@         /  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  /         @@¶#§$/=~¨
¨~=/$§#¶@# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  #@¶#§$/=~¨
¨~=/$§#¶@#  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  #@¶#§$/=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=/$#         /        AT ALL...     /         #$/=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~==$§#¶         # ==================== #         ¶#§$==~¨¨¨
¨-~;%@£###                                          ###£@%;~-¨
,,¨¨:,^;%@     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$SUDDEN£*AWARENESS#     ###¤%*/=:.
.,~†=¤####  #%OF%@EXACTLY§#HOW§THEY£HAD#TRAVELED,*# ####¤=†~,.
¨¨,,,.-=*£   #£OF#THE@WAY#HOME¶#TO#THE@TIME#FROM@@  £*=-.,,,¨¨
~«^^@§@###   ##WHERE@THEY@CAME,@@#@###AND@THEN##@#  ###@§@^^«~
¨¨,~:^-*%§   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS†KNOWLEDGE†«   §%*-^:~,¨¨
,,¨.,-=§¤#   ~~BEING = STOLEN -= FROM ~~~ THEM. ¨   #¤§=-,.¨,,
¨^~*=££¶@@          =» ,  -«~ .  »¨  -»  -          @@¶££=*~^¨
,:~†§%££##    ,   ~-          :                ¨    ##££%§†~:,
¨-=;^§¤§@£        .      ,          ,      ^        £@§¤§^;=-¨
¨,»†*£@£##                                          ##£@£*†»,¨
..-^§¤&@##                    ,#.                   ##@&¤§^-..
¨:~\=&£@##                                          ##@£&=\~:¨
,^~\%%£§¤#                   AND,                   #¤§£%%\~^,
¨^=:*%§@@#                                          #@@§%*:=^¨
,-~=%*£###  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ###£*%=~-,
,~~^%%£@##        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ##@£%%^~~,
.-~/§£&@@#                                          #@@&£§/~-.
¨:~^^%¤@##                                          ##@¤%^^~:¨
.-»:$%§@##                                          ##@§%$:»-.
.^«;$§##@#                                          #@##§$;«^.
,^»\%§&¶##                                          ##¶&§%\»^,