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