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