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