,,,-«\^£¤£                                          £¤£^\«-,,,
,,,,-«\^£¤                                          ¤£^\«-,,,,
,,,,,-«\^£                                          £^\«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«\^                                          ^\«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«\                                          \«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«\^         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ^\«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«\^£         \ 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. ,   #@#$$\«~,¨
¨.¨^«/†$@¶          »« ¨  ~~- ¨  ~.  ~=  =          ¶@$†/«^¨.¨
.¨.,:«\=%&    ^   ,^          ,                ¨    &%=\«:,.¨.
.¨¨¨¨,~^*%        ,      ,          ,      *        %*^~,¨¨¨¨.
.¨,¨.¨,«/§                                          §/«,¨.¨,¨.
..¨,,,¨.~†                   ¨#,                    †~.¨,,,¨..
..¨,,..«**                                          **«..,,¨..
...¨.,~*†&                   AND,                   &†*~,.¨...
¨¨¨.,«==§§                                          §§==«,.¨¨¨
¨,,-«/*$£@  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  @£$*/«-,,¨
,.-=†*£§£#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #£§£*†=-.,
.~~^%&@£##                                          ##£@&%^~~.
¨¨^«*^£#@#                                          #@#£^*«^¨¨
.¨¨:»:†%##                                          ##%†:»:¨¨.
,,..^~^$$§                                          §$$^~^..,,
¨¨¨¨,~=*=$                                          $=*=~,¨¨¨¨