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