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