..»=*§§###                                          ###§§*=»..
..»=*§§###                                          ###§§*=»..
..»=*§§###                                          ###§§*=»..
..»=*§§###                                          ###§§*=»..
..»»»==*§#                                          #§*==»»»..
....==**§#         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         #§**==....
..»=*§§###         = 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.  #§$/=.~-,,
¨..¨^^%¤¤§        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       §¤¤%^^¨..¨
¨^»\%§@¶##                                          ##¶@§%\»^¨
,:-:=*$&#£                                          £#&$*=:-:,
..«;%$#@@#                                          #@@#$%;«..
¨^«:$*&@##                                          ##@&*$:«^¨
,.¨~.-\@##                                          ##@\-.~¨.,