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