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