,,,^»:$*&@                                          @&*$:»^,,,
,,,,^»:$*&                                          &*$:»^,,,,
,,,,,^»:$*                                          *$:»^,,,,,
,,,,^»:$*&                                          &*$:»^,,,,
,,,^»:$*&@                                          @&*$:»^,,,
,,^»:$*&@#         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         #@&*$:»^,,
,^»:$*&@##         : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS :         ##@&*$:»^,
,,^»:$*&@#         : IN A STALE TIMELINE, :         #@&*$:»^,,
,,,^»:$*&@         :  BRANCHED WAY BACK   :         @&*$:»^,,,
,,,,^»:$*&         :  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  :         &*$:»^,,,,
,,,,,^»:$*         :  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  :         *$:»^,,,,,
,,,,^»:$*&  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, &*$:»^,,,,
,,,^»:$*&@  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  @&*$:»^,,,
,,^»:$*&@#         :        AT ALL...     :         #@&*$:»^,,
,^»:$*&@##         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ##@&*$:»^,
,.^=†§*¤£#                                          #£¤*§†=^.,
,,.~-†^¤¤#     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,                   £^\»,,¨...
,¨,.,~\$@@                                          @@$\~,.,¨,
.¨..-\=§@#  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  #@§=\-..¨.
..,-†%£#@@        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       @@#£%†-,..
.^~/†%¤###                                          ###¤%†/~^.
¨.,»/%¤###                                          ###¤%/»,.¨
.,¨:«:†%#@                                          @#%†:«:¨,.
,¨¨¨-~:=@£                                          £@=:~-¨¨¨,
¨,...:«\$%                                          %$\«:...,¨