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