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