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