,,=\%¤####                                          ####¤%\=,,
,,,,,,\%¤¤                                          ¤¤%\,,,,,,
,,=\%$$$¤¤                                          ¤¤$$$%\=,,
,,,,,=\$$¤                                          ¤$$\=,,,,,
,,=\%%$$##                                          ##$$%%\=,,
,,=\%$¤###         # ==================== #         ###¤$%\=,,
,,,,,==\$¤         \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \         ¤$\==,,,,,
,,\%$¤####         \ IN A STALE TIMELINE, \         ####¤$%\,,
,,=\%$####         \  BRANCHED WAY BACK   \         ####$%\=,,
,,=\%$¤###         \  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  \         ###¤$%\=,,
,,=\%$$¤##         \  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,                   #$†\:.,...
,,-^*§§###                                          ###§§*^-,,
,:«\^%¤###  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ###¤%^\«:,
¨,¨,;=;%%#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #%%;=;,¨,¨
¨:-†*%§@##                                          ##@§%*†-:¨
,^«**$&@##                                          ##@&$**«^,
,.-*†£&@@#                                          #@@&£†*-.,
.::~~%%†&@                                          @&†%%~~::.
¨^»=†¤%§@#                                          #@§%¤†=»^¨