,,,^»†$%&@                                          @&%$†»^,,,
,^»†$%&¶@#                                          #@¶&%$†»^,
,,,,,,^†%&                                          &%†^,,,,,,
,,,,,^†$&¶                                          ¶&$†^,,,,,
,,,,^»»$$&                                          &$$»»^,,,,
,^»†$%&&¶@         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         @¶&&%$†»^,
,^»†$%¶@##         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ##@¶%$†»^,
,^»†$%&¶##         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ##¶&%$†»^,
,,,,,»†%%¶         †  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.       ###&¤%;~,¨
.,~=*%#¶##                                          ##¶#%*=~,.
,:«*%§####                                          ####§%*«:,
,,~†%*#@##                                          ##@#*%†~,,
.^-\§@§@##                                          ##@§@§\-^.
¨^=:%¤¤##@                                          @##¤¤%:=^¨