,,,,,.:%@@                                          @@%:.,,,,,
,.«:%%%@§#                                          #§@%%%:«.,
,,..«««%§@                                          @§%«««..,,
,.«:%@§@##                                          ##@§@%:«.,
,,,,..«:%§                                          §%:«..,,,,
,,,,,,.:%§         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         §%:.,,,,,,
,.«:%@§@@@         : 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.        #£%$«~.¨,,
¨¨.¨.,-/@£                                          £@/-,.¨.¨¨
¨,~^†/%£@#                                          #@£%/†^~,¨
.~»*%§¤@@#                                          #@@¤§%*»~.
,:~*%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%*~:,
.,.¨,,~*§#                                          #§*~,,¨.,.