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