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