,,,,,,,.~*                                          *~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~                                          ~.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,.                                          .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~                                          ~.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~*                                          *~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.~*$         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         $*~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~*$*         * 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.        $:~^¨,,,..
,¨,..:~;$%                                          %$;~:..,¨,
...¨-=††£@                                          @£††=-¨...
,¨,:~*†£¤#                                          #¤£†*~:,¨,
.,^-†%@###                                          ###@%†-^,.
¨,~=%%£###                                          ###£%%=~,¨