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