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