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