¨.~†^@&@@#                                          #@@&@^†~.¨
¨¨¨.~~†^^&                                          &^^†~~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~†@@@                                          @@@†~¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~~†^^@@@                                          @@@^^†~~.¨
¨.~†^@&@@#                                          #@@&@^†~.¨
¨.~†^@@@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@@@^†~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~^&         † 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,                   #§£$*«=-¨.
¨^~;*&@£##                                          ##£@&*;~^¨
.,~^§%¤###  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ###¤%§^~,.
..,¨-^§£§#       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        #§£§^-¨,..
..«*§%@¶#£                                          £#¶@%§*«..
.,~^$£¤@@#                                          #@@¤£$^~,.
.,~=*§&#@#                                          #@#&§*=~,.
.,-.~«;*@@                                          @@*;«~.-,.
¨-~/†*####                                          ####*†/~-¨