,,=*%%%*@#                                          #@*%%%*=,,
,,=*%*@###                                          ###@*%*=,,
,,=*%*@###                                          ###@*%*=,,
,,=*%*@###                                          ###@*%*=,,
,,=*%*@###                                          ###@*%*=,,
,,,,****@@         # ==================== #         @@****,,,,
,,,,,=%%*#         * 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.        ##£#%*^»~,
,¨.,»=%%£#                                          #£%%=»,.¨,
..¨¨.~=%%&                                          &%%=~.¨¨..
¨,¨.¨=*§££                                          ££§*=¨.¨,¨
¨,¨.,~»$§£                                          £§$»~,.¨,¨
¨:»†$%@¶@#                                          #@¶@%$†»:¨