,,,,==/%§#                                          #§%/==,,,,
,,=/%%§¶##                                          ##¶§%%/=,,
,,,,=%%%%§                                          §%%%%=,,,,
,,=/%%§¶##                                          ##¶§%%/=,,
,,,,/%%%§¶                                          ¶§%%%/,,,,
,=/%%§¶###         # ==================== #         ###¶§%%/=,
,,=/%%§¶##         / 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.        ¤†***-,.¨¨
.,~=%§¤###                                          ###¤§%=~,.
¨,==*§@#@#                                          #@#@§*==,¨
.-~:§§&@##                                          ##@&§§:~-.
,....~*§££                                          ££§*~....,
¨,-*%&£@##                                          ##@£&%*-,¨