,,,,,,-$%¶                                          ¶%$-,,,,,,
,,,,,;%%¶#                                          #¶%%;,,,,,
,,-;$%%§¶#                                          #¶§%%$;-,,
,,-;$%§¶##                                          ##¶§%$;-,,
,,,,,--$§¶                                          ¶§$--,,,,,
,,-;$%§¶##         # -------------------- #         ##¶§%$;-,,
,,-;$%§¶##         ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ;         ##¶§%$;-,,
,,-;$%§¶##         ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ;         ##¶§%$;-,,
,,,,,,,;$§         ;  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ;         §$;,,,,,,,
,,-;$%§###         ;  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ;         ###§%$;-,,
,,-;$%§¶##         ;  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ;         ##¶§%$;-,,
,,-;$%§¶##  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ##¶§%$;-,,
,,-;$%§¶##  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ##¶§%$;-,,
,,,,,-;;%§         ;        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,                   £¤*;-~»~,.
¨~=:\*§$£&                                          &£$§*\:=~¨
..~**$&¶##  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ##¶&$**~..
,-~:$%£@##       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ##@£%$:~-,
,¨.--~%¤#@                                          @#¤%~--.¨,
,.¨..~»§@£                                          £@§»~..¨.,
,:=/$£#£##                                          ##£#£$/=:,
¨.-\^$&@@#                                          #@@&$^\-.¨
¨.«†=@¤#@#                                          #@#¤@=†«.¨