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