,,,-«*$%§£                                          £§%$*«-,,,
,,,,-«*$%§                                          §%$*«-,,,,
,,,-«*$%§£                                          £§%$*«-,,,
,,-«*$%§£#                                          #£§%$*«-,,
,-«*$%§£##                                          ##£§%$*«-,
,,-«*$%§£#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #£§%$*«-,,
,,,-«*$%§£         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         £§%$*«-,,,
,,,,-«*$%§         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         §%$*«-,,,,
,,,-«*$%§£         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         £§%$*«-,,,
,,-«*$%§£#         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         #£§%$*«-,,
,-«*$%§£##         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         ##£§%$*«-,
,,-«*$%§£#  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, #£§%$*«-,,
,,,-«*$%§£  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  £§%$*«-,,,
,,,,-«*$%§         *        AT ALL...     *         §%$*«-,,,,
,,,-«*$%§£         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         £§%$*«-,,,
,¨,~/%¤#@#                                          #@#¤%/~,¨,
..»;§$#¶@#     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     #@¶#$§;»..
,¨:-*%§@@@   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#@@@   ##§§$:=:.,
¨-~†=&##@#   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE\~   #@##&=†~-¨
..~-^†£££@   ~-BEING » STOLEN ~~ FROM »»» THEM. .   @£££†^-~..
.¨,^-\%*&¶          -= ¨  ==» ,  =¨  -»  »          ¶&*%\-^,¨.
,.,.~«†=*@    ^   ^-          ,                ¨    @*=†«~.,.,
..¨.=/*&£#        .      ¨          ,      †        #£&*/=.¨..
.,:»\%%&#@                                          @#&%%\»:,.
¨:-=^&§@##                   .#,                    ##@§&^=-:¨
,..-:=$@@@                                          @@@$=:-..,
.¨¨.~:*§¤@                   AND,                   @¤§*:~.¨¨.
.¨..,=\*¤@                                          @¤*\=,..¨.
¨,.-~^%§§@  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  @§§%^~-.,¨
,¨:~*%@#@@        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       @@#@%*~:¨,
.^~\†¤#@@#                                          #@@#¤†\~^.
.¨.«/$£§##                                          ##§£$/«.¨.
¨.¨~=†^*¤¶                                          ¶¤*^†=~¨.¨
¨,,.:«=†$¤                                          ¤$†=«:.,,¨
..,:-^%£@£                                          £@£%^-:,..