,,,,===¤##                                          ##¤===,,,,
,^=^=&¤###                                          ###¤&=^=^,
,^=^=&¤###                                          ###¤&=^=^,
,^=^=&¤###                                          ###¤&=^=^,
,^=^=&¤###                                          ###¤&=^=^,
,^=^=&&&&#         # ==================== #         #&&&&=^=^,
,^=^=&¤###         ^ 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. .   ###@¤%*=:,
.:~=$@§§&£          =- ¨  =»- ,  «¨  ,~  ~          £&§§@$=~:.
¨-«/%*####    ^   ::          -                .    ####*%/«-¨
,,-;^%#@#@        .      ,          ,      $        @#@#%^;-,,
,¨¨.-~\*§@                                          @§*\~-.¨¨,
,:«=†*§¶@#                   ¨#¨                    #@¶§*†=«:,
.,~~««/@&@                                          @&@/««~~,.
,,.~~%%£$§                   AND,                   §$£%%~~.,,
..~=†=%@@#                                          #@@%=†=~..
¨,^,~-*¤$#  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  #$¤*-~,^,¨
¨,~/^$@###       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ###@$^/~,¨
.,=/*&@###                                          ###@&*/=,.
¨.~*%§¤£##                                          ##£¤§%*~.¨
,,=*†§£@##                                          ##@£§†*=,,
¨.,¨,\$¤£@                                          @£¤$\,¨,.¨
..«:§§£@##                                          ##@£§§:«..