,~»†*£@###                                          ###@£*†»~,
,~»†*£@###                                          ###@£*†»~,
,~»†*£@###                                          ###@£*†»~,
,~»†*££@@@                                          @@@££*†»~,
,~»†****@#                                          #@****†»~,
,~»†*£@###         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ###@£*†»~,
,~»†*£@###         † 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.       @@@†,^.,.¨
¨,»=*££###                                          ###££*=»,¨
¨¨.,~:*&#&                                          &#&*:~,.¨¨
¨~-/*%§###                                          ###§%*/-~¨
.¨..««%^£¶                                          ¶£^%««..¨.
.:-~†=**&@                                          @&**=†~-:.