.-«^§§$§@#                                          #@§$§§^«-.
.-«^§$@###                                          ###@$§^«-.
...«^^§§@@                                          @@§§^^«...
......-^$@                                          @$^-......
.-«^§$§@##                                          ##@§$§^«-.
...---^§§@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @§§^---...
.-«^§$§@##         ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^         ##@§$§^«-.
.-«^§$§@@@         ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^         @@@§$§^«-.
....--^$§§         ^  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ^         §§$^--....
.....-^§§@         ^  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.  £¤%£§§:~-,
,-~^*$@###       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ###@$*^~-,
,,¨¨==*£@¶                                          ¶@£*==¨¨,,
,.¨=~«=/=§                                          §=/=«~=¨.,
,,~/§£@£##                                          ##£@£§/~,,
¨-»\**&###                                          ###&**\»-¨
.^~$@£####                                          ####£@$~^.