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