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