,-~:=&¶@##                                          ##@¶&=:~-,
,,-~::===&                                          &===::~-,,
,-~:=£&¶@#                                          #@¶&£=:~-,
,,,,,,-:=&                                          &=:-,,,,,,
,-~::=£££¶                                          ¶£££=::~-,
,,,,,-:£¶¶         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¶¶£:-,,,,,
,,,,,,-~=&         : 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.        ##£@*†;»:.
,--†$£#¶##                                          ##¶#£$†--,
,,,,.¨«=@#                                          #@=«¨.,,,,
,,~;§$#¶##                                          ##¶#$§;~,,
.,~=%%##@#                                          #@##%%=~,.
¨,..¨--^&£                                          £&^--¨..,¨