....,-†^$&                                          &$^†-,....
.....,-†^$                                          $^†-,.....
....,-†^$&                                          &$^†-,....
...,-†^$&#                                          #&$^†-,...
..,-†^$&#@                                          @#&$^†-,..
.,-†^$&#@#         # -------------------- #         #@#&$^†-,.
..,-†^$&#@         † 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,                   ¤$*:=:,,¨.
,..,«†**££                                          ££**†«,..,
..^-=†&§¶#  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  #¶§&†=-^..
¨,~^^£####        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ####£^^~,¨
¨¨,~;**¤£#                                          #£¤**;~,¨¨
,,.^=\*§£#                                          #£§*\=^.,,
¨...:~;%£¤                                          ¤£%;~:...¨
,¨¨,¨,»/§$                                          $§/»,¨,¨¨,
,¨,.~~/^$#                                          #$^/~~.,¨,