,,«*%%£@##                                          ##@£%%*«,,
,,,,«%%%£@                                          @£%%%«,,,,
,,,,«*%%%£                                          £%%%*«,,,,
,,««**%%@#                                          #@%%**««,,
,,,,,«**%£                                          £%**«,,,,,
,,,,,,«%£#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #£%«,,,,,,
,,,,,,*%£#         * 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,                   §§$£**==,.
.~~\*%£@@#                                          #@@£%*\~~.
¨,¨,.««;&£  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  £&;««.,¨,¨
,-~\*&£#@#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #@#£&*\~-,
¨¨.~\*^*£¶                                          ¶£*^*\~.¨¨
.^«/%$£¶@#                                          #@¶£$%/«^.
¨,~;†£@¶##                                          ##¶@£†;~,¨
¨-~;%¤££@#                                          #@££¤%;~-¨
,,¨,¨.«^§£                                          £§^«.¨,¨,,