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