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