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