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