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