..,~~††%%#                                          #%%††~~,..
.....,†%$#                                          #$%†,.....
....~~†%%#                                          #%%†~~....
....,††%$#                                          #$%††,....
.,~†%$####                                          ####$%†~,.
.,~†%$####         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ####$%†~,.
.,~†%$####         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ####$%†~,.
.,~†%$####         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ####$%†~,.
.,~†%$$$##         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         ##$$$%†~,.
..,~~††$$#         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         #$$††~~,..
.,~†%$####         †  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  †         ####$%†~,.
.,~†%$####  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ####$%†~,.
.,~†%$####  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ####$%†~,.
.,~†%$####         †        AT ALL...     †         ####$%†~,.
.....,†$$#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #$$†,.....
.¨¨.,^/@$£                                          £$@/^,.¨¨.
,....-%%%@     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.       @†»~~»..¨,
¨.-:§%¤###                                          ###¤%§:-.¨
¨:«;*%§#@#                                          #@#§%*;«:¨
..~:*££#@#                                          #@#££*:~..
.:«^%%#@##                                          ##@#%%^«:.
.:~//*@§&#                                          #&§@*//~:.