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