,,,,,,,,~»                                          »~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~»=                                          =»~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~»=%                                          %=»~,,,,,,
,,,,,~»=%*                                          *%=»~,,,,,
,,,,~»=%*¤                                          ¤*%=»~,,,,
,,,~»=%*¤#         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         #¤*%=»~,,,
,,~»=%*¤##         = 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.  #§%^=-,.,.
¨¨¨,-††$@#       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        #@$††-,¨¨¨
¨.,=:§%§£#                                          #£§%§:=,.¨
,-«/%$£¶##                                          ##¶£$%/«-,
,,-~=$&££#                                          #££&$=~-,,
..¨.=^*&§£                                          £§&*^=.¨..
.,¨¨:~;=%£                                          £%=;~:¨¨,.