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