,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
=,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,=
\=,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,=\
*\=,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,=\*
&*\=,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,=\*&
§&*\=,,,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,,,=\*&§
#§&*\=,,,,         \ 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.        ,¨¨,¨,,,,~
,...,...¨¨                                          ¨¨...,...,
,¨¨,,,,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,,,,¨¨,
.,,...,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,...,,.
,¨,¨.,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,.¨,¨,
..,...,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,...,..