....-=*¤¤#                                          #¤¤*=-....
.-«==^^¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤^^==«-.
.-«=^*¤###                                          ###¤*^=«-.
.....«^*¤¤                                          ¤¤*^«.....
.-«=^*¤###                                          ###¤*^=«-.
.....««^¤¤         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¤¤^««.....
.-«=*¤####         = 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,£#  #§#£$§:=-,
.:=\=£§¶##  #@OF§THE¶WAY#HOME#¶TO#THE#TIME#FROM#¶   ##¶§£=\=:.
,.~:*§@@#@   #¶WHERE@THEY@CAME,###@#@#AND#THEN#@@#  @#@@§*:~.,
¨,-==@@###   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS=KNOWLEDGE*=   ###@@==-,¨
,^«=$%§%$&   »=BEING = STOLEN »~ FROM ~«« THEM. .   &$%§%$=«^,
,¨,.«~»^§@          -« .  ==» ¨  ~.  ,~  «          @§^»~«.,¨,
¨~==%§*#@@    :   ~-          ~                .    @@#*§%==~¨
.,¨,»*;^£#        ,      .          ,      ^        #£^;*»,¨,.
..¨¨.\*£@@                                          @@£*\.¨¨..
,--=^$£%¤£                    ¨#¨                   £¤%£$^=--,
,:»=/\*%@#                                          #@%*\/=»:,
.-~*$%$£##                   AND,                   ##£$%$*~-.
..,:^†††£§                                          §£†††^:,..
¨,=\*§¤@@#  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  #@@¤§*\=,¨
¨-~*^££###        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ###££^*~-¨
¨¨.»~-/%*¶                                          ¶*%/-~».¨¨
..-\$$@£##                                          ##£@$$\-..
.-«;§*§##£                                          £##§*§;«-.
,^»\*££@##                                          ##@££*\»^,
,,~=*$¤###                                          ###¤$*=~,,