,,,,,~===@                                          @===~,,,,,
,,,,,,~===                                          ===~,,,,,,
,,,,,~===@                                          @===~,,,,,
,,,,~===@#                                          #@===~,,,,
,,,~===@##                                          ##@===~,,,
,,~===@###         # ==================== #         ###@===~,,
,~===@####         = 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.        @&^\~,.¨,,
.¨..,-«=†#                                          #†=«-,..¨.
,,¨¨..,»:%                                          %:»,..¨¨,,
.¨,¨,~»;†§                                          §†;»~,¨,¨.
¨¨,¨.»*†£#                                          #£†*».¨,¨¨
,.,,«*%£¶@                                          @¶£%*«,,.,