,==%@§£@##                                          ##@£§@%==,
,,==%@§£@#                                          #@£§@%==,,
,,,==%@§£@                                          @£§@%==,,,
,,,,==%@§£                                          £§@%==,,,,
,,,==%@§£@                                          @£§@%==,,,
,,==%@§£@#         # ==================== #         #@£§@%==,,
,==%@§£@##         = 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.        #§*^^-¨,,¨
¨,,~*$¤¤¶@                                          @¶¤¤$*~,,¨
¨¨~\*¤@£##                                          ##£@¤*\~¨¨
¨~\^¤&####                                          ####&¤^\~¨
..»/*£§¶@#                                          #@¶§£*/»..
..¨~*$¤&£@                                          @£&¤$*~¨..