.-«==$§@##                                          ##@§$==«-.
..-«==$§@#                                          #@§$==«-..
...-«==$§@                                          @§$==«-...
..-«==$§@#                                          #@§$==«-..
.-«==$§@##                                          ##@§$==«-.
..-«==$§@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@§$==«-..
...-«==$§@         = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS =         @§$==«-...
..-«==$§@#         = IN A STALE TIMELINE, =         #@§$==«-..
.-«==$§@##         =  BRANCHED WAY BACK   =         ##@§$==«-.
..-«==$§@#         =  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  =         #@§$==«-..
...-«==$§@         =  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  =         @§$==«-...
..-«==$§@# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  #@§$==«-..
.-«==$§@##  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ##@§$==«-.
..-«==$§@#         =        AT ALL...     =         #@§$==«-..
...-«==$§@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @§$==«-...
.,,=^*$&##                                          ##&$*^=,,.
¨:»/%¤####     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.        ###¤%/~:,,
.¨.^=\^&¤#                                          #¤&^\=^.¨.
,,,~;=£¤##                                          ##¤£=;~,,,
.,=:%§@###                                          ###@§%:=,.
¨.,»†$%&@#                                          #@&%$†»,.¨
,¨¨,«=*£&@                                          @&£*=«,¨¨,