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