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