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