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