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