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