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