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