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