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