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