,,^-/$#@##                                          ##@#$/-^,,
,^-/$#@###                                          ###@#$/-^,
,,^-/$#@##                                          ##@#$/-^,,
,,,^-/$#@#                                          #@#$/-^,,,
,,,,^-/$#@                                          @#$/-^,,,,
,,,^-/$#@#         # -------------------- #         #@#$/-^,,,
,,^-/$#@##         / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS /         ##@#$/-^,,
,^-/$#@###         / IN A STALE TIMELINE, /         ###@#$/-^,
,,^-/$#@##         /  BRANCHED WAY BACK   /         ##@#$/-^,,
,,,^-/$#@#         /  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  /         #@#$/-^,,,
,,,,^-/$#@         /  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  /         @#$/-^,,,,
,,,^-/$#@# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  #@#$/-^,,,
,,^-/$#@##  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ##@#$/-^,,
,^-/$#@###         /        AT ALL...     /         ###@#$/-^,
,,^-/$#@##         # -------------------- #         ##@#$/-^,,
.,¨:~**@#@                                          @#@**~:¨,.
,,.¨,«^=§@     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.       #@§*^«,¨,.
.¨,.-«**&#                                          #&**«-.,¨.
,,,,~:*@#@                                          @#@*:~,,,,
,.~»†§####                                          ####§†»~.,
.,=;§&¶@##                                          ##@¶&§;=,.
..,«*†@@##                                          ##@@†*«,..