,,=;§*&£##                                          ##£&*§;=,,
,,=;§*&£##                                          ##£&*§;=,,
,,=;§*&£##                                          ##£&*§;=,,
,,,,,=;;§&                                          &§;;=,,,,,
,,=;§*&£##                                          ##£&*§;=,,
,,,,,=§&££         # ==================== #         ££&§=,,,,,
,,=;§*&£##         ; 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.       #@@£¤§=-~,
,,~^*$$£&&                                          &&£$$*^~,,
.:=/†£§£##                                          ##£§£†/=:.
,:~†=&¤¶##                                          ##¶¤&=†~:,
¨.,..:%&##                                          ##&%:..,.¨
.-~/^§#@##                                          ##@#§^/~-.