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