,,«=%$¤###                                          ###¤$%=«,,
,,,,««=%%¤                                          ¤%%=««,,,,
,,«=%$¤###                                          ###¤$%=«,,
,,«=%$¤###                                          ###¤$%=«,,
,,«=%$¤###                                          ###¤$%=«,,
,,«=%$¤###         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ###¤$%=«,,
,,,,==%¤##         = 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. .   ##&§$=:¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨,-%@#          ~« ,  -«- .  »,  ~-  -          #@%-,¨¨¨¨,
,,¨.¨-^%%£    ,   ^,          ^                ,    £%%^-¨.¨,,
.¨¨,,,«^#&        .      ,          ¨      *        &#^«,,,¨¨.
¨:~*§$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$§*~:¨
¨.¨,,.-^*&                   ¨#.                    &*^-.,,¨.¨
..«†§@¤@@#                                          #@@¤@§†«..
,^-*§&¤###                   AND,                   ###¤&§*-^,
,,~*=£@###                                          ###@£=*~,,
,~-:*¤@###  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ###@¤*:-~,
¨.¨¨~$*=$¤       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ¤$=*$~¨¨.¨
,.==^£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£^==.,
.--=^$¤@¶#                                          #¶@¤$^=--.
¨,»\*&¤@##                                          ##@¤&*\»,¨
¨.=*^*&###                                          ###&*^*=.¨
.,-*%&&¶##                                          ##¶&&%*-,.