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