.,=\§¤#£##                                          ##£#¤§\=,.
...,==\§¤#                                          #¤§\==,...
.,=\§¤#££#                                          #££#¤§\=,.
.....==§##                                          ##§==.....
.,=\§¤#£##                                          ##£#¤§\=,.
.,=\§§¤###         # ==================== #         ###¤§§\=,.
....,,\§¤#         \ 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.  @&§£^=¨¨,.
¨.«†$*&@@#       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        #@@&*$†«.¨
¨.-;^^$&&@                                          @&&$^^;-.¨
,.,,,¨~**¤                                          ¤**~¨,,,.,
,¨...:»^†#                                          #†^»:...¨,
¨,-^=$&¶@#                                          #@¶&$=^-,¨
,.»*=%####                                          ####%=*».,