.,«*†%&¶##                                          ##¶&%†*«,.
.,«*†%&¶##                                          ##¶&%†*«,.
.,«*†%&¶##                                          ##¶&%†*«,.
.,«*†%&¶##                                          ##¶&%†*«,.
.,«*†%&¶##                                          ##¶&%†*«,.
.,«*†%&¶##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##¶&%†*«,.
.,«*†%&¶##         * 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.        #@#&¤=*«,.
.¨.¨.~^^§@                                          @§^^~.¨.¨.
,-~^%%$%%&                                          &%%$%%^~-,
¨,.-=^%§¤&                                          &¤§%^=-.,¨
.,¨.^^&&¤#                                          #¤&&^^.¨,.
¨:-^†@@¶##                                          ##¶@@†^-:¨