¨.~\%$&###                                          ###&$%\~.¨
¨¨.~\%$&##                                          ##&$%\~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~\%$&#                                          #&$%\~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~\%$&##                                          ##&$%\~.¨¨
¨.~\%$&###                                          ###&$%\~.¨
¨¨.~\%$&##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##&$%\~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~\%$&#         \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \         #&$%\~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~\%$&##         \ IN A STALE TIMELINE, \         ##&$%\~.¨¨
¨.~\%$&###         \  BRANCHED WAY BACK   \         ###&$%\~.¨
¨¨.~\%$&##         \  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  \         ##&$%\~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~\%$&#         \  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  \         #&$%\~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~\%$&##  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ##&$%\~.¨¨
¨.~\%$&###  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ###&$%\~.¨
¨¨.~\%$&##         \        AT ALL...     \         ##&$%\~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~\%$&#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #&$%\~.¨¨¨
.¨^~:*¤##@                                          @##¤*:~^¨.
¨-~/§*§###     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.        #¶@%*^=,.¨
¨¨,:~††$@#                                          #@$††~:,¨¨
.¨~»†^£#@#                                          #@#£^†»~¨.
,,-*%$#£##                                          ##£#$%*-,,
.,,»;%%¤@#                                          #@¤%%;»,,.
,..,»†=%§#                                          #§%=†»,..,