.~«^&§@###                                          ###@§&^«~.
..~«^&§@##                                          ##@§&^«~..
...~«^&§@#                                          #@§&^«~...
....~«^&§@                                          @§&^«~....
.....~«^&§                                          §&^«~.....
......~«^&         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         &^«~......
.......~«^         ^ 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.       $\=-¨,,¨¨.
,,.,¨..:~:                                          :~:..¨,.,,
,,.,,.¨.--                                          --.¨.,,.,,
¨,¨,,.,.¨^                                          ^¨.,.,,¨,¨
,,,.¨...--                                          --...¨.,,,
¨,.,.¨,:«/                                          /«:,¨.,.,¨