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