¨,=\$£§###                                          ###§£$\=,¨
¨,=\$£§###                                          ###§£$\=,¨
¨,=\$£££§#                                          #§£££$\=,¨
¨¨¨¨==$£§#                                          #§£$==¨¨¨¨
¨,=\$£§###                                          ###§£$\=,¨
¨,=\$£§###         # ==================== #         ###§£$\=,¨
¨,=\$£§###         \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \         ###§£$\=,¨
¨,=\$£§###         \ 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.        #%:;:,¨¨¨,
¨¨,:--~†@&                                          &@†~--:,¨¨
¨¨¨,~/†§@#                                          #@§†/~,¨¨¨
.,..,=~=&@                                          @&=~=,..,.
.-,«;=^%@@                                          @@%^=;«,-.
¨¨¨,.,»~=#                                          #=~»,.,¨¨¨