.-=*=$$£##                                          ##£$$=*=-.
.-=*=$£###                                          ###£$=*=-.
.-=*=$£###                                          ###£$=*=-.
.-=*=$£###                                          ###£$=*=-.
.-=*=$$£##                                          ##£$$=*=-.
.-=*=$£###         # ==================== #         ###£$=*=-.
-=*=$£####         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         ####£$=*=-
.-=*=$£###         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         ###£$=*=-.
.-=*=$£###         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         ###£$=*=-.
.-=*=$####         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ####$=*=-.
.-=*=$£###         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         ###£$=*=-.
...-=*===£  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.       @#&=:».,..
¨^=*§£#¤¶#                                          #¶¤#£§*=^¨
.^«/%@¤£##                                          ##£¤@%/«^.
.-~\^£@¶#@                                          @#¶@£^\~-.
,¨.,~;\*@§                                          §@*\;~,.¨,
,~«:%§£§&¤                                          ¤&§£§%:«~,