.........^                                          ^.........
........^=                                          =^........
.......^=†                                          †=^.......
......^=†%                                          %†=^......
.....^=†%&                                          &%†=^.....
....^=†%&¤         # ==================== #         ¤&%†=^....
...^=†%&¤#         † 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.        ¨,¨.,¨.,¨¨
,¨.,,.,,..                                          ..,,.,,.¨,
,¨.,¨,¨...                                          ...¨,¨,.¨,
¨.¨.,.....                                          .....,.¨.¨
,,.¨¨,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,¨¨.,,
¨.,¨...,..                                          ..,...¨,.¨