..§§..§.§.                                          §.§.§§..§.
.§.§.§§.§.                                          §.§..§.§§.
§§.§..§.§.                                          §.§.§§..§.
.§.§.§§.§.                                          §.§..§.§§.
§§.§..§.§.                                          §.§.§§..§.
.§.§.§§.§.         # ==================== #         §.§..§.§§.
§§.§..§.§.         \ 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.        §.¤.¨¤¨§&,
@#.&.¨§,§.                                          §.£.¤§,.&.
,§¨@.£#,#,                                          ¤¨£¨,¤,&§,
£@.§¨.&.£¨                                          &,@,&@¨,§.
.¤¨#¨§¤¨@,                                          #,@,,§¨¤#¨
£&.§.¨&,&¨                                          ¤.§¨§&,.£.