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