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