.«**£&####                                          ####&£**«.
..«**£&###                                          ###&£**«..
...«**£&##                                          ##&£**«...
....«**£&#                                          #&£**«....
.....«**£&                                          &£**«.....
......«**£         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         £**«......
.......«**         * 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.       ¨¨,¨...,,¨
.,.¨.¨,¨.~                                          ~.¨,¨.¨.,.
,¨,,,...«*                                          *«...,,,¨,
,,¨¨¨.¨=/*                                          */=¨.¨¨¨,,
.¨,¨¨.=†%§                                          §%†=.¨¨,¨.
¨.,,¨~*$$£                                          £$$*~¨,,.¨