,,»\=£§£##                                          ##£§£=\»,,
,,»\=£§£##                                          ##£§£=\»,,
,,»\=£§£##                                          ##£§£=\»,,
,,»\=£§££#                                          #££§£=\»,,
,,»\=£§£##                                          ##£§£=\»,,
,,,,\===££         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ££===\,,,,
,,»\=£§£##         \ 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.        #¶@@%§\«,¨
.,~/$$#&¶#                                          #¶&#$$/~,.
~-*§£&¶@##                                          ##@¶&£§*-~
.,.»«\;:£@                                          @£:;\«».,.
¨¨,¨¨«\*$£                                          £$*\«¨¨,¨¨
¨.=^^&£#@#                                          #@#£&^^=.¨