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