,,=\^@@###                                          ###@@^\=,,
,,,=\^@@##                                          ##@@^\=,,,
,,,,=\^@@#                                          #@@^\=,,,,
,,,,,=\^@@                                          @@^\=,,,,,
,,,,,,=\^@                                          @^\=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=\^         # ==================== #         ^\=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=\         \ 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.       #@#§$:«,.,
¨,~^=%£###                                          ###£%=^~,¨
¨..~**¤¶##                                          ##¶¤**~..¨
¨¨.--†^*¶#                                          #¶*^†--.¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-*%£@                                          @£%*-,¨¨¨¨
..¨.,~-/§$                                          $§/-~,.¨..