¨.»/^%&###                                          ###&%^/».¨
¨.»/^%&¶##                                          ##¶&%^/».¨
¨.»/^%&¶##                                          ##¶&%^/».¨
¨¨¨¨¨./%&&                                          &&%/.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.///^&#                                          #&^///.¨¨¨
¨.»//^%%%&         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         &%%%^//».¨
¨.»/^%&¶##         / 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,                   ##$^:,¨...
,,~^§$####                                          ####$§^~,,
¨,~«/::*£@  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  @£*::/«~,¨
¨^-\%&§%§@       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        @§%§&%\-^¨
,^=\%%¤###                                          ###¤%%\=^,
,.=:=%£¶##                                          ##¶£%=:=.,
¨..¨=-~/†¤                                          ¤†/~-=¨..¨
¨,»:§*&@##                                          ##@&*§:»,¨
,^«†$¤&#@#                                          #@#&¤$†«^,