,,~\†¤£###                                          ###£¤†\~,,
,,,~\†¤£##                                          ##£¤†\~,,,
,,,,~\†¤£#                                          #£¤†\~,,,,
,,,~\†¤£##                                          ##£¤†\~,,,
,,~\†¤£###                                          ###£¤†\~,,
,,,~\†¤£##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##£¤†\~,,,
,,,,~\†¤£#         \ 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.       #@&£%†~,,.
¨..^~\%@&@                                          @&@%\~^..¨
.¨~=*=%¤¶#                                          #¶¤%=*=~¨.
.~~:=$&¶##                                          ##¶&$=:~~.
,.^-\*$¤@#                                          #@¤$*\-^.,
,,..-;%£&£                                          £&£%;-..,,