.^»:=%§#@#                                          #@#§%=:»^.
..^»:=%§#@                                          @#§%=:»^..
...^»:=%§#                                          #§%=:»^...
....^»:=%§                                          §%=:»^....
.....^»:=%                                          %=:»^.....
......^»:=         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         =:»^......
.......^»:         : 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.       .¨,¨.,¨,¨¨
¨¨.¨,,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,,¨.¨¨
.¨,¨.,.¨,-                                          -,¨.,.¨,¨.
...¨,¨.,=/                                          /=,.¨,¨...
.¨.¨,¨^-^*                                          *^-^¨,¨.¨.
¨¨,¨¨-~^$$                                          $$^~-¨¨,¨¨