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