,,~†%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%†~,,
,,~†%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%†~,,
,,~†%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%†~,,
,,~††††%$¶                                          ¶$%††††~,,
,,,,,,†$&¶                                          ¶&$†,,,,,,
,,~†%$&¶##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##¶&$%†~,,
,,~†%$&¶##         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ##¶&$%†~,,
,,~†%$&###         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ###&$%†~,,
,,~†††$&&&         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         &&&$†††~,,
,,~†%$&###         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         ###&$%†~,,
,,~†%$¶###         †  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  †         ###¶$%†~,,
,,~†%$&¶## COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ##¶&$%†~,,
,,~†%$&¶##  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ##¶&$%†~,,
,,~†%$&¶##         †        AT ALL...     †         ##¶&$%†~,,
,,~†%$&¶##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##¶&$%†~,,
¨--†=&§###                                          ###§&=†--¨
¨^~=§@&¶£#     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.        £§@;~=-«^,
¨,~;^$&£##                                          ##£&$^;~,¨
,~«=%¤####                                          ####¤%=«~,
¨.,::^£#@#                                          #@#£^::,.¨
¨,..,¨-*†£                                          £†*-¨,..,¨
,.~:=&§@@#                                          #@@§&=:~.,