.^»\$%###@                                          @###%$\»^.
.^»\$%##@#                                          #@##%$\»^.
.^»\$%##@#                                          #@##%$\»^.
.^»»\$%%%#                                          #%%%$\»»^.
.^»\$%##@#                                          #@##%$\»^.
....^»$##@         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         @##$»^....
.^»\$%##@@         \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \         @@##%$\»^.
.^»\$%##@#         \ 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.       ##£#§*/~^,
¨:«;%§@¶#@                                          @#¶@§%;«:¨
.,«=^&£¶##                                          ##¶£&^=«,.
,~-/†££###                                          ###££†/-~,
.-~=%@&£##                                          ##£&@%=~-.
,¨¨¨^,^£#¶                                          ¶#£^,^¨¨¨,