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