,.=%£&@###                                          ###@&£%=.,
,,,,,,.=£@                                          @£=.,,,,,,
,.==%£&@##                                          ##@&£%==.,
,.==%£&###                                          ###&£%==.,
,.====%%&@                                          @&%%====.,
,.==%£&@##         # ==================== #         ##@&£%==.,
,.==%£&@##         = 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@#@#  ##£#$=*»,.
.,,,~»%^%#   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE;=   #%^%»~,,,.
,:«†*&£@##   «~BEING = STOLEN ~~ FROM ~~~ THEM. ¨   ##@£&*†«:,
.^=†^$££@#          ~~ .  ~~- ¨  -,  .«  -          #@££$^†=^.
¨,..,.»**§    :   ,~          -                .    §**».,..,¨
.:-;=£¤@##        .      .          ¨      §        ##@¤£=;-:.
,~~/†%§@##                                          ##@§%†/~~,
,,~:^$££##                   ¨#.                    ##££$^:~,,
¨.,,.*§@@#                                          #@@§*.,,.¨
,,,.¨~\%##                   AND,                   ##%\~¨.,,,
¨.,¨.«$£@@                                          @@£$«.¨,.¨
.-«;*@##@#  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  #@##@*;«-.
¨,~=%§&@##        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ##@&§%=~,¨
,:=*^$#@##                                          ##@#$^*=:,
.,~;=£&#@#                                          #@#&£=;~,.
...¨,^~*$#                                          #$*~^,¨...
,.¨.,=*%@@                                          @@%*=,.¨.,
,:=**¤####                                          ####¤**=:,