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