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