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