,,,,:~==¤#                                          #¤==~:,,,,
,:~†=*¤###                                          ###¤*=†~:,
,:~†=*####                                          ####*=†~:,
,,,:~††*¤#                                          #¤*††~:,,,
,:~†=*¤###                                          ###¤*=†~:,
,:~=*¤####         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ####¤*=~:,
,,:::†*¤##         † 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.     ##@@$*==,.
,^~†=%##@#   ,^=DARK~WOLVES~.CLIMBING,OUT^OF,.,=    #@##%=†~^,
,,~;%%§@##    ~«~THE=POOL,»SURROUNDING;THEM\-*^/    ##@§%%;~,,
,,-†§£&@##     :SUDDEN†THOUGHTS;OF-=;CLIMBING^%*    ##@&£§†-,,
.~«**£§¤@@   INTO=THE;POOL,%THEIR†THIRST*FLARING§   @@¤§£**«~.
,¨.,.,^*§£     =*^BRIGHT$-*$A%SUDDEN*%AWARENESS#    £§*^,.,.¨,
,,¨~=~~:£#  #£OF§§EXACTLY&¶HOW#THEY#HAD&TRAVELED,£# #£:~~=~¨,,
..~†%&&#¶#  #£OF#THE#WAY@HOME@#TO#THE#TIME#FROM##   #¶#&&%†~..
.¨,,,::*£@  #@WHERE@THEY@CAME,##@####AND#THEN####   @£*::,,,¨.
,¨¨,.-*=*¶   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE*«   ¶*=*-.,¨¨,
,..,,-./%#   »«BEING » STOLEN == FROM ~~~ THEM. ,   #%/.-,,..,
,¨,,:--\%#          ~~ .  »~« ,  «¨  .~  «          #%\--:,,¨,
,¨¨,=*@$#@    ^   ::          ~                .    @#$@*=,¨¨,
.¨¨.,.«**#        ,      ¨          ¨      %        #**«.,.¨¨.
.,~/†%&£§£                                          £§£&%†/~,.
..,..«=%£#                    ,#¨                   #£%=«..,..
.,,.^**¤$@                                          @$¤**^.,,.
,~«:**&@##                   AND,                   ##@&**:«~,
.:«/%$&@@#                                          #@@&$%/«:.
.^«†*§££@#  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  #@££§*†«^.
...¨,,«*%£        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       £%*«,,¨...
.:=^$&§@§£                                          £§@§&$^=:.
,,~\*£&###                                          ###&£*\~,,
.,«†$@§@@#                                          #@@§@$†«,.
.,¨.,=$&#¤                                          ¤#&$=,.¨,.
,--**%£&£&                                          &£&£%**--,