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