....:»†%@¤                                          ¤@%†»:....
...:»†%@¤#                                          #¤@%†»:...
..:»†%@¤##                                          ##¤@%†»:..
.:»†%@¤###                                          ###¤@%†»:.
..:»†%@¤##                                          ##¤@%†»:..
...:»†%@¤#         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         #¤@%†»:...
....:»†%@¤         † 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,@# $§/»,¨..¨,
.¨,,.,~»==  #@OF&THE@WAY@HOME#@TO@THE@TIME@FROM¶¶   ==»~,.,,¨.
¨.,..,.,«;  #£WHERE@THEY@CAME,###@##@AND#THEN##@#   ;«,.,..,.¨
,¨¨,¨.¨¨,»   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS†KNOWLEDGE*«   »,¨¨.¨,¨¨,
.¨.¨¨¨,¨,,   =«BEING - STOLEN =» FROM -«~ THEM. ¨   ,,¨,¨¨¨.¨.
...¨,¨..,.          -= ¨  »-» ¨  -,  ,-  »          .,..¨,¨...
,.¨.,¨..,.    ~   -~          ^                ,    .,..¨,.¨.,
¨¨,..¨¨.,¨        ,      ¨          ,      =        ¨,.¨¨..,¨¨
..,¨.¨..¨.                                          .¨..¨.¨,..
,,,,¨,,.¨¨                    ¨#.                   ¨¨.,,¨,,,,
.¨¨..¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨..¨¨.
..,.,,,,,.                   AND,                   .,,,,,.,..
..¨¨..,,.~                                          ~.,,..¨¨..
.¨.¨..,.,»  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  »,.,..¨.¨.
,,¨¨...^~;       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ;~^...¨¨,,
.¨.,.,~»/^                                          ^/»~,.,.¨.
,¨¨,.~==*£                                          £*==~.,¨¨,
¨..,,»†*§@                                          @§*†»,,..¨
..,:~:=$£@                                          @£$=:~:,..
,¨,~^$£§@#                                          #@§£$^~,¨,