.^-/*§@###                                          ###@§*/-^.
.^-/*§@###                                          ###@§*/-^.
.^^^/*§§§@                                          @§§§*/^^^.
.^-/*§@###                                          ###@§*/-^.
.^-/*§@###                                          ###@§*/-^.
.^-/*§@@##         # -------------------- #         ##@@§*/-^.
.....^^-*@         / 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.  ###@%$:»^,
¨~«\**¤¶##       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ##¶¤**\«~¨
¨,-:%$§#@#                                          #@#§$%:-,¨
¨,~;$%£¶##                                          ##¶£%$;~,¨
,-»**$&§@#                                          #@§&$**»-,
¨.,^~§%&@¶                                          ¶@&%§~^,.¨
..=/*@£¶¶#                                          #¶¶£@*/=..