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