=~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~=
†=~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~=†
%†=~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~=†%
%%†=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=†%%
@%%†=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=†%%@
#@%%†=~,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,~=†%%@#
##@%%†=~,,         † 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.       ¨,.,¨,..¨.
¨,,,¨,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,¨,,,¨
.¨,,¨.¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨.¨,,¨.
¨¨,¨¨.¨..,                                          ,..¨.¨¨,¨¨
,,.¨¨,,,,,                                          ,,,,,¨¨.,,
,¨¨,¨.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.¨,¨¨,