...,==*$##                                          ##$*==,...
....,==*$#                                          #$*==,....
...,==*$##                                          ##$*==,...
..,==*$###                                          ###$*==,..
.,==*$####                                          ####$*==,.
..,==*$###         # ==================== #         ###$*==,..
...,==*$##         = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS =         ##$*==,...
....,==*$#         = IN A STALE TIMELINE, =         #$*==,....
...,==*$##         =  BRANCHED WAY BACK   =         ##$*==,...
..,==*$###         =  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  =         ###$*==,..
.,==*$####         =  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  =         ####$*==,.
..,==*$###  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ###$*==,..
...,==*$##  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ##$*==,...
....,==*$#         =        AT ALL...     =         #$*==,....
...,==*$##         # ==================== #         ##$*==,...
¨¨,~^*$###                                          ###$*^~,¨¨
,-~**$¤###     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     ###¤$**~-,
¨¨-»:†*§@#   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.  #¤$=^=,¨,.
...=*^¤@@#       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        #@@¤^*=...
¨,~\=&@@##                                          ##@@&=\~,¨
¨¨^«\$%&##                                          ##&%$\«^¨¨
,..^-/$¤£@                                          @£¤$/-^..,
.¨,.:«\%$&                                          &$%\«:.,¨.
,,,.=:%@&#                                          #&@%:=.,,,