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