.~=\*@&@@#                                          #@@&@*\=~.
.~=\*@&@@@                                          @@@&@*\=~.
.~=\*@&@@@                                          @@@&@*\=~.
....~\\@&@                                          @&@\\~....
.~=\*@&@@#                                          #@@&@*\=~.
....~\@&@@         # ==================== #         @@&@\~....
.....=*&@@         \ 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$THIRST^FLARING=   ###§$††=,,
.^-==%£@##     ^^$BRIGHT*-%£A&SUDDEN%¤AWARENESS#    ##@£%==-^.
¨~»/=%###@ #£OF§§EXACTLY@@HOW@THEY§HAD@TRAVELED,£#  @###%=/»~¨
¨,~=†%£¶##   #¤OF@THE¶WAY£HOME@#TO¶THE#TIME#FROM¶#  ##¶£%†=~,¨
.¨¨.¨-;%@#  #£WHERE#THEY#CAME,##@####AND#THEN##@@   #@%;-¨.¨¨.
¨~=^§&¤###   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS^KNOWLEDGE\=   ###¤&§^=~¨
.,»;*@§¶@#   »-BEING « STOLEN -= FROM -«- THEM. ,   #@¶§@*;»,.
.~-=^&@#@#          «~ .  «»= .  ~,  :~  «          #@#@&^=-~.
.¨¨¨.-~=££    ,   ,,          ^                ,    ££=~-.¨¨¨.
,,.,=*^@$@        ¨      ¨          ,      %        @$@^*=,.,,
¨,¨,««*=§§                                          §§=*««,¨,¨
¨.¨~†:$#¤#                   ¨#¨                    #¤#$:†~¨.¨
.,=:*%£@##                                          ##@£%*:=,.
,,»\^%#£##                   AND,                   ##£#%^\»,,
.:~†*$¤#£#                                          #£#¤$*†~:.
¨:~==@§@##  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ##@§@==~:¨
¨,~:%*%&&#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #&&%*%:~,¨
.:-†*$#@##                                          ##@#$*†-:.
¨¨.~,\*%£&                                          &£%*\,~.¨¨
,,=\†££@##                                          ##@££†\=,,
,¨.,,†$##&                                          &##$†,,.¨,
¨¨.=:§£&*£                                          £*&£§:=.¨¨