,,:~=$@£##                                          ##£@$=~:,,
,:~=$@£###                                          ###£@$=~:,
,,:~=$@£##                                          ##£@$=~:,,
,,,:~=$@£#                                          #£@$=~:,,,
,,,,:~=$@£                                          £@$=~:,,,,
,,,:~=$@£#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #£@$=~:,,,
,,:~=$@£##         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         ##£@$=~:,,
,:~=$@£###         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         ###£@$=~:,
,,:~=$@£##         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         ##£@$=~:,,
,,,:~=$@£#         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         #£@$=~:,,,
,,,,:~=$@£         †  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  †         £@$=~:,,,,
,,,:~=$@£#  COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, #£@$=~:,,,
,,:~=$@£##  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ##£@$=~:,,
,:~=$@£###         †        AT ALL...     †         ###£@$=~:,
,,:~=$@£##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##£@$=~:,,
¨¨¨.«†&@¶#                                          #¶@&†«.¨¨¨
..¨¨^==¤£@     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.        @#£§%~,,,¨
,.,,.~$%@#                                          #@%$~.,,.,
¨¨.,«†@£#@                                          @#£@†«,.¨¨
¨.,-†¤&¶@#                                          #@¶&¤†-,.¨
,~=$@¤@###                                          ###@¤@$=~,
¨,^»†@§#@#                                          #@#§@†»^,¨