.^-*%&&&##                                          ##&&&%*-^.
.^-*%&####                                          ####&%*-^.
.^-*%&####                                          ####&%*-^.
.^-*%&####                                          ####&%*-^.
.^-*%&####                                          ####&%*-^.
.^-*%&####         # -------------------- #         ####&%*-^.
^-*%&#####         * 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.       ¶££/,¨..¨¨
.,»/^*¤£##                                          ##£¤*^/»,.
,,,-,~;*§#                                          #§*;~,-,,,
,^:,,†*£%#                                          #%£*†,,:^,
.,~^†£@@@@                                          @@@@£†^~,.
..~†%£¤¶##                                          ##¶¤£%†~..