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