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