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