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