,.«*$@##@#                                          #@##@$*«.,
,.«*$$@###                                          ###@$$*«.,
,.«*$@##@#                                          #@##@$*«.,
,,,,..**@#                                          #@**..,,,,
,.«*$##@##                                          ##@##$*«.,
,.«*$@##@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@##@$*«.,
,.«*$@##@#         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         #@##@$*«.,
,.«*$@##@#         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         #@##@$*«.,
,.«*$@##@#         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         #@##@$*«.,
,.«*$@####         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ####@$*«.,
,,,,.*$$##         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         ##$$*.,,,,
,,,,.«$@#@  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, @#@$«.,,,,
,,,,,..*@#  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.       #@£&%^^~,,
,,,.,,-~%§                                          §%~-,,.,,,
..,.,,/$@§                                          §@$/,,.,..
.,~/*%####                                          ####%*/~,.
,^«;*%£@@#                                          #@@£%*;«^,
.,»:*%&¶#£                                          £#¶&%*:»,.