,,=^$£####                                          ####£$^=,,
,,=^$£####                                          ####£$^=,,
,,=^$£####                                          ####£$^=,,
,,,==$$££#                                          #££$$==,,,
,,,,,,,^$#                                          #$^,,,,,,,
,,=^$£####         # ==================== #         ####£$^=,,
,,=^$£####         ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^         ####£$^=,,
,,,,=$$###         ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^         ###$$=,,,,
,,,,,=^$£#         ^  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ^         #£$^=,,,,,
,,=^$£####         ^  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ^         ####£$^=,,
,,=^$£####         ^  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ^         ####£$^=,,
,,=^$£####  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ####£$^=,,
,,,,,=^^£#  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.        ##@§£=/~,.
.,~»~»^§£@                                          @£§^»~»~,.
.,«;$@£@##                                          ##@£@$;«,.
,:=:/§%$¤¤                                          ¤¤$%§/:=:,
¨^-^%%¤£##                                          ##£¤%%^-^¨
¨.¨~«†%£@#                                          #@£%†«~¨.¨