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