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