....,/**$§                                          §$**/,....
.,-/*$§£##                                          ##£§$*/-,.
...--/$$$£                                          £$$$/--...
.,--/***$§                                          §$***/--,.
.,-/*$§£##                                          ##£§$*/-,.
....,,-/$§         # -------------------- #         §$/-,,....
.....-/$§£         / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS /         £§$/-.....
....,,-*$§         / IN A STALE TIMELINE, /         §$*-,,....
.....,/*§#         /  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.       £#§%=-¨.¨¨
..,./**#&£                                          £&#**/.,..
,~:*$#####                                          #####$*:~,
.,~=%@@¶@#                                          #@¶@@%=~,.
,,=†*#####                                          #####*†=,,
,.~†^£§###                                          ###§£^†~.,