.~==*%####                                          ####%*==~.
.~==*%####                                          ####%*==~.
....~=*###                                          ###*=~....
...~=**%##                                          ##%**=~...
.~====*%##                                          ##%*====~.
.~==*%%%##         # ==================== #         ##%%%*==~.
...~==%%##         = 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.        @%§^=†^~,¨
.,«\§§@@##                                          ##@@§§\«,.
,^~=§*@###                                          ###@*§=~^,
¨^~;=$§@@#                                          #@@§$=;~^¨
~=\%%#@@##                                          ##@@#%%\=~
¨~.,,\%@§#                                          #§@%\,,.~¨