,~«=†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†=«~,
,,,,~«=†&&                                          &&†=«~,,,,
,~«=†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†=«~,
,~«=†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†=«~,
,,,~~«««†&                                          &†«««~~,,,
,~«=†&&¶##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##¶&&†=«~,
,~«=†&&¶##         = 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£#  #@#&£$\~,,
¨¨¨,-:\*@¶  ##WHERE#THEY#CAME,@######AND@THEN@@##   ¶@*\:-,¨¨¨
¨~«\†£¤£@#   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS†KNOWLEDGE;»   #@£¤£†\«~¨
¨-~/=$@$##   ~~BEING ~ STOLEN -~ FROM «~~ THEM. ,   ##$@$=/~-¨
,-»:†@£¤§#          ~- ¨  «-~ .  -¨  ^-  ~          #§¤£@†:»-,
¨.~^§£@¶##    -   ~,          ^                .    ##¶@£§^~.¨
,¨¨,=««*&@        ,      ¨          ,      ^        @&*««=,¨¨,
.,¨¨^*/£@£                                          £@£/*^¨¨,.
.-«^^£§£##                   ,#.                    ##£§£^^«-.
.,=^*££$§#                                          #§$££*^=,.
¨.=\=££@@#                   AND,                   #@@££=\=.¨
¨,«/†*§£##                                          ##£§*†/«,¨
¨.«;†¤@@##  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ##@@¤†;«.¨
¨:-=§*£@##       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ##@£*§=-:¨
.,..==*=$&                                          &$=*==..,.
¨.~--%£££#                                          #£££%--~.¨
,^~;*&##&@                                          @&##&*;~^,
..¨,.,*;¤¶                                          ¶¤;*,.,¨..
.~=;*&£@@#                                          #@@£&*;=~.