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