.-=\*#####                                          #####*\=-.
.-=\****£#                                          #£****\=-.
.-=\*£####                                          ####£*\=-.
.....--\£#                                          #£\--.....
.-=\*£####                                          ####£*\=-.
.-=\*£####         # ==================== #         ####£*\=-.
.-=\*£####         \ 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.  &£=\~,.¨¨,
.,~\*$&£##        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ##£&$*\~,.
¨.-:%&@¶@@                                          @@¶@&%:-.¨
.,¨¨^:~§&£                                          £&§~:^¨¨,.
,-~/^*@###                                          ###@*^/~-,
.:~=^$#£##                                          ##£#$^=~:.
¨~~*^&£@##                                          ##@£&^*~~¨