,,:~\%%##@                                          @##%%\~:,,
,,,:~\%%##                                          ##%%\~:,,,
,,,,:~\%%#                                          #%%\~:,,,,
,,,:~\%%##                                          ##%%\~:,,,
,,:~\%%##@                                          @##%%\~:,,
,:~\%%##@#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #@##%%\~:,
,,:~\%%##@         \ 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,                   @@&£*†=^,,
,¨¨,-;§¤§@                                          @§¤§;-,¨¨,
.¨,.^«*†$&  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  &$†*«^.,¨.
¨,,~~:^$@¶        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¶@$^:~~,,¨
.¨:~†%£&@@                                          @@&£%†~:¨.
¨^»*$§£@##                                          ##@£§$*»^¨
,..~†*§¤#@                                          @#¤§*†~..,
¨.,.~^%¤¤@                                          @¤¤%^~.,.¨
¨..,-~^$%#                                          #%$^~-,..¨