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