.,-=%@¶@##                                          ##@¶@%=-,.
..,-=%@¶@#                                          #@¶@%=-,..
.,-=%@¶@##                                          ##@¶@%=-,.
..,-=%@¶@#                                          #@¶@%=-,..
.,-=%@¶@##                                          ##@¶@%=-,.
..,-=%@¶@#         # -------------------- #         #@¶@%=-,..
.,-=%@¶@##         = 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.       #@@¤^\~.,.
,^-:%££@##                                          ##@££%:-^,
,¨,«;*####                                          ####*;«,¨,
.,~*%§#@##                                          ##@#§%*~,.
¨.^~;%@¶@#                                          #@¶@%;~^.¨
.^~/†¤¶###                                          ###¶¤†/~^.