.,«:§£&¶##                                          ##¶&£§:«,.
.,«:§&¶###                                          ###¶&§:«,.
....,«§&¶¶                                          ¶¶&§«,....
.....,,:£&                                          &£:,,.....
.....,«§&¶                                          ¶&§«,.....
....,«§££¶         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¶££§«,....
...««:§££¶         : 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.       ¶¤^%=.,..,
,.,-\=%**#                                          #**%=\-,.,
¨,~†:^£%£¤                                          ¤£%£^:†~,¨
¨,.,«%=%@£                                          £@%=%«,.,¨
¨~~;*¤£###                                          ###£¤*;~~¨
,.,.¨«^$£@                                          @£$^«¨.,.,