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