....^††&¶#                                          #¶&††^....
.^-§&§¶###                                          ###¶§&§-^.
.^-†§&§¶##                                          ##¶§&§†-^.
.....^†&&§                                          §&&†^.....
.^-†§&§¶##                                          ##¶§&§†-^.
....-§§§§§         # -------------------- #         §§§§§-....
.^-†§&§¶##         † 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. ,   ###¤$%†~:¨
.:-=*$&¤¤@          «- .  ==~ ,  =,  ^=  -          @¤¤&$*=-:.
¨,.~/%†@§@    ^   ,~          -                ¨    @§@†%/~.,¨
,,~;§$¤@@#        ,      .          ,      §        #@@¤$§;~,,
..==%%%¤£#                                          #£¤%%%==..
¨:~:*%&¶##                   ¨#¨                    ##¶&%*:~:¨
¨:-†^%&###                                          ###&%^†-:¨
,¨¨,¨=*£%#                   AND,                   #%£*=¨,¨¨,
,,,¨¨«;£@£                                          £@£;«¨¨,,,
,.«:§£####  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ####£§:«.,
.^~=†£¤£@#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #@£¤£†=~^.
..«^$&#@##                                          ##@#&$^«..
¨.=*=§@###                                          ###@§=*=.¨
,,»††@####                                          ####@††»,,
.,~;%¤$£¤#                                          #¤£$¤%;~,.
.¨.,~;*^%@                                          @%^*;~,.¨.