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