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