....~~*†%§                                          §%†*~~....
.....~~*†%                                          %†*~~.....
......~~*†                                          †*~~......
.......~~*                                          *~~.......
......~~*†                                          †*~~......
.....~~*†%         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         %†*~~.....
....~~*†%§         * 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.       ###@*††~,.
¨,.«^^*#@#                                          #@#*^^«.,¨
.,¨^«/†¤¤#                                          #¤¤†/«^¨,.
,,,¨-«†*£§                                          §£*†«-¨,,,
¨,¨¨¨-«*^£                                          £^*«-¨¨¨,¨
¨,..¨,--^^                                          ^^--,¨..,¨