.,-*§$@###                                          ###@$§*-,.
.,-*§$@£##                                          ##£@$§*-,.
.,-*§$@£##                                          ##£@$§*-,.
.,-*§$@£##                                          ##£@$§*-,.
.,---**§@#                                          #@§**---,.
....--§§@#         # -------------------- #         #@§§--....
.....-§@@@         * 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.        @¶@%/..¨¨,
,¨,¨,«$*££                                          ££*$«,¨,¨,
¨,,¨~†%@#£                                          £#@%†~¨,,¨
.,«:$§####                                          ####§$:«,.
,¨,.~==&##                                          ##&==~.,¨,
.,,,,-=$$¤                                          ¤$$=-,,,,.