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