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