,,~/==%%§#                                          #§%%==/~,,
,,,,~//%§#                                          #§%//~,,,,
,,~/=%§@##                                          ##@§%=/~,,
,,~/==%%§§                                          §§%%==/~,,
,,,,,~==§#                                          #§==~,,,,,
,,~/=%§@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@§%=/~,,
,,~/=%§@##         / 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.        ##@¤£*=«,,
¨,,¨..^:¤£                                          £¤:^..¨,,¨
¨~»/%£#&##                                          ##&#£%/»~¨
.,=\$&&£@@                                          @@£&&$\=,.
.-=/%&@#@#                                          #@#@&%/=-.
,¨.,~-;§§£                                          £§§;-~,.¨,