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