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