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