,,^~^*@£##                                          ##£@*^~^,,
,^~^*@£###                                          ###£@*^~^,
,,^~^*@£##                                          ##£@*^~^,,
,,,^~^*@£#                                          #£@*^~^,,,
,,^~^*@£##                                          ##£@*^~^,,
,^~^*@£###         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ###£@*^~^,
,,^~^*@£##         ; 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.        ##@@#£%~,,
,,,~*$§@##                                          ##@§$*~,,,
,.¨,-*$£¶@                                          @¶£$*-,¨.,
.¨,»%%#£##                                          ##£#%%»,¨.
.~-=£¤¶###                                          ###¶¤£=-~.
,..==$§@@#                                          #@@§$==..,