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