.....«†###                                          ###†«.....
...,«=††¤#                                          #¤††=«,...
.,«=†¤####                                          ####¤†=«,.
.,«=†¤####                                          ####¤†=«,.
.,«=†¤####                                          ####¤†=«,.
.,«=†¤####         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ####¤†=«,.
.,«=†¤####         = 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^^*     ###@@*$*-:
¨-~†^£¤@##   INTO*THE=POOL,%THEIR*THIRST^FLARING%   ##@¤£^†~-¨
.:~†*%¶@##    §=%BRIGHT%-%§A¤SUDDEN@*AWARENESS#     ##@¶%*†~:.
.~«~~††¤¶#  #%OF%£EXACTLY##HOW#THEY§HAD£TRAVELED,@# #¶¤††~~«~.
.,»^=*@#@@   #@OF¤THE@WAY¶HOME#£TO£THE@TIME#FROM¶¶  @@#@*=^»,.
..~==@£###   ##WHERE#THEY@CAME,@@@##@#AND#THEN####  ###£@==~..
¨^»\%%§£¤@   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS§KNOWLEDGE*-   @¤£§%%\»^¨
¨,.¨.,**%@   -~BEING « STOLEN ~« FROM »~~ THEM. .   @%**,.¨.,¨
.^-^$*§@##          -- .  «~~ ,  ~.  ,»  =          ##@§*$^-^.
¨,¨.*:*@£#    ^   --          -                ,    #£@*:*.¨,¨
¨¨,,¨¨¨»†¤        .      .          ,      %        ¤†»¨¨¨,,¨¨
,,~/%$@¶##                                          ##¶@$%/~,,
¨,,,,~†%££                    ,#,                   ££%†~,,,,¨
,^=;=\\%##                                          ##%\\=;=^,
¨,¨¨«%*@£¶                   AND,                   ¶£@*%«¨¨,¨
,,=^†¤%£££                                          £££%¤†^=,,
¨~»=†&@@##  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ##@@&†=»~¨
¨..,~*§%@#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #@%§*~,..¨
.,=%%£¶###                                          ###¶£%%=,.
.¨..,,^;£&                                          &£;^,,..¨.
.-†%%§¶@##                                          ##@¶§%%†-.
,:-*%†$#@@                                          @@#$†%*-:,
¨.=/*$££#@                                          @#££$*/=.¨