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