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