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