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