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