.....====§                                          §====.....
.,=*=*§@##                                          ##@§*=*=,.
.,,,====§#                                          #§====,,,.
.,=*=*§@##                                          ##@§*=*=,.
.....,=**@                                          @**=,.....
.,=*=*§@##         # ==================== #         ##@§*=*=,.
.,=*=§@###         * 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,                   £$£@*/~.,¨
,.¨~~=@@#@                                          @#@@=~~¨.,
,-~††££###  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ###££††~-,
.:~;%%#@##       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ##@#%%;~:.
,¨,¨,,«*$@                                          @$*«,,¨,¨,
¨-»=^$£@@#                                          #@@£$^=»-¨
,,¨¨.-;=&§                                          §&=;-.¨¨,,
.,«*§$¤@@¶                                          ¶@@¤$§*«,.
¨,«†^%##¶£                                          £¶##%^†«,¨