,,,:-^†§¶#                                          #¶§†^-:,,,
,,:-^†§¶##                                          ##¶§†^-:,,
,:-^†§¶###                                          ###¶§†^-:,
,,:-^†§¶##                                          ##¶§†^-:,,
,,,:-^†§¶#                                          #¶§†^-:,,,
,,,,:-^†§¶         # -------------------- #         ¶§†^-:,,,,
,,,,,:-^†§         ^ 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,$# ##¶%%\~.¨,
¨.«/*&####   #@OF§THE£WAY#HOME@#TO£THE@TIME@FROM##  ####&*/«.¨
..,~^=&@##   #@WHERE#THEY@CAME,######@AND@THEN#@#@  ##@&=^~,..
¨...«\*§@#   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE:«   #@§*\«...¨
.¨..,~*^£¶   ~»BEING ~ STOLEN ~~ FROM ««= THEM. ¨   ¶£^*~,..¨.
¨,¨.,~=/=$          «~ ¨  ~=- ,  =¨  -~  «          $=/=~,.¨,¨
.,¨,,¨-~/%    ,   .-          ,                ¨    %/~-¨,,¨,.
¨.¨¨.¨,^=;        .      ,          ,      ^        ;=^,¨.¨¨.¨
¨,...,.,~«                                          «~,.,...,¨
,,...,,¨.:                   .#¨                    :.¨,,...,,
,.¨.,,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,,.¨.,
,¨¨.,¨.,¨^                   AND,                   ^¨,.¨,.¨¨,
.,¨,.,,¨.~                                          ~.¨,,.,¨,.
¨,,,¨¨.:~/  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  /~:.¨¨,,,¨
,.,.¨¨-~*%        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       %*~-¨¨.,.,
,¨,¨¨^~\%$                                          $%\~^¨¨,¨,
.¨.¨.«\%£@                                          @£%\«.¨.¨.
,..-~†=¤@@                                          @@¤=†~-..,
,.:~;§¤£##                                          ##£¤§;~:.,
,:»=^$####                                          ####$^=»:,