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