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