,,,,,,-=†*                                          *†=-,,,,,,
,,,,,-=†*%                                          %*†=-,,,,,
,,,,-=†*%§                                          §%*†=-,,,,
,,,-=†*%§@                                          @§%*†=-,,,
,,-=†*%§@@                                          @@§%*†=-,,
,-=†*%§@@#         # ==================== #         #@@§%*†=-,
,,-=†*%§@@         † 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$SUDDEN*£AWARENESS#     -,,..,¨,,.
,¨¨,¨..,»: #*OF%£EXACTLY§@HOW£THEY&HAD@TRAVELED,%#  :»,..¨,¨¨,
¨¨,¨,,,=/†   #@OF#THE@WAY¶HOME£@TO#THE@TIME@FROM#@  †/=,,,¨,¨¨
¨¨.,,^»††¤  ##WHERE#THEY#CAME,@###@##AND#THEN@@#@   ¤††»^,,.¨¨
¨¨.¨,»;%@@   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE*«   @@%;»,¨.¨¨
,¨.:=^†%##   ~»BEING ~ STOLEN =~ FROM -=» THEM. ,   ##%†^=:.¨,
.,^«^§$###          »~ ¨  ~~~ .  «.  ,~  ~          ###$§^«^,.
,,~:*¤&£##    -   ^~          ^                ¨    ##£&¤*:~,,
,.^-†=$&£@        ¨      ,          .      =        @£&$=†-^.,
¨¨¨:-††$&£                                          £&$††-:¨¨¨
.,,.~=^^%&                   .#,                    &%^^=~.,,.
..,¨.,~=%¤                                          ¤%=~,.¨,..
¨¨¨.¨¨,~/*                   AND,                   */~,¨¨.¨¨¨
¨¨.¨,.¨,«\                                          \«,¨.,¨.¨¨
,.¨,.,..~«  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  «~..,.,¨.,
..¨.,,¨~«†       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        †«~¨,,.¨..
.,.¨,,.==*                                          *==.,,¨.,.
.¨,.,,~;†@                                          @†;~,,.,¨.
,,¨¨.«=*§§                                          §§*=«.¨¨,,
,¨.,==†%§¶                                          ¶§%†==,.¨,
..,«\*$@¶#                                          #¶@$*\«,..