.-»/*&§###                                          ###§&*/»-.
....-/*&§#                                          #§&*/-....
....»»**&#                                          #&**»»....
....-/&§##                                          ##§&/-....
.-»/*&§###                                          ###§&*/»-.
....»»*&§#         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         #§&*»»....
.-»/**&§§#         / 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.        #£#&¤=\--¨
¨¨.,-^^&§£                                          £§&^^-,.¨¨
¨,,:**%£@£                                          £@£%**:,,¨
,:~*$&£@##                                          ##@£&$*~:,
,,,,^»%*££                                          ££*%»^,,,,
¨,=:*%#@##                                          ##@#%*:=,¨