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