.,-*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*-,.
..,-*$¤£##                                          ##£¤$*-,..
.,-*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*-,.
..,-*$¤£##                                          ##£¤$*-,..
.,-*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*-,.
..,-*$¤£##         # -------------------- #         ##£¤$*-,..
.,-*$¤£###         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         ###£¤$*-,.
..,-*$¤£##         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         ##£¤$*-,..
.,-*$¤£###         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         ###£¤$*-,.
..,-*$¤£##         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ##£¤$*-,..
.,-*$¤£###         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         ###£¤$*-,.
..,-*$¤£##  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ##£¤$*-,..
.,-*$¤£###  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ###£¤$*-,.
..,-*$¤£##         *        AT ALL...     *         ##£¤$*-,..
.,-*$¤£###         # -------------------- #         ###£¤$*-,.
.,,-/=§£##                                          ##£§=/-,,.
.,«\^%@###     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.  ##@¶@†/~~.
..:-^$$#@#       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        #@#$$^-:..
,.»;†£####                                          ####£†;».,
...~/^%@##                                          ##@%^/~...
..~††@#@##                                          ##@#@††~..
.,^-†$@@##                                          ##@@$†-^,.
¨:»=§%@###                                          ###@%§=»:¨