.,«\†§@###                                          ###@§†\«,.
.,«\†§@@##                                          ##@@§†\«,.
.,«\†§@@##                                          ##@@§†\«,.
.,«\†§@@##                                          ##@@§†\«,.
....,««\§@                                          @§\««,....
..,,,,\††@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @††\,,,,..
.,«\††§§@@         \ 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.        ##£§%§\»,,
.:-†*$§###                                          ###§$*†-:.
,.¨,~»~*%£                                          £%*~»~,¨.,
,,..~~=^$&                                          &$^=~~..,,
¨^«\^%§@@#                                          #@@§%^\«^¨
¨,=/%%@@##                                          ##@@%%/=,¨