,-~%$§@###                                          ###@§$%~-,
,,-~%$§@##                                          ##@§$%~-,,
,,,-~%$§@#                                          #@§$%~-,,,
,,,,-~%$§@                                          @§$%~-,,,,
,,,,,-~%$§                                          §$%~-,,,,,
,,,,-~%$§@         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         @§$%~-,,,,
,,,-~%$§@#         * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS *         #@§$%~-,,,
,,-~%$§@##         * IN A STALE TIMELINE, *         ##@§$%~-,,
,-~%$§@###         *  BRANCHED WAY BACK   *         ###@§$%~-,
,,-~%$§@##         *  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  *         ##@§$%~-,,
,,,-~%$§@#         *  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  *         #@§$%~-,,,
,,,,-~%$§@ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  @§$%~-,,,,
,,,,,-~%$§  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  §$%~-,,,,,
,,,,-~%$§@         *        AT ALL...     *         @§$%~-,,,,
,,,-~%$§@#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #@§$%~-,,,
¨.-~**¤@##                                          ##@¤**~-.¨
¨.«%$£@###     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     ###@£$%«.¨
¨¨-=†$§£@#   LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK,   #@£§$†=-¨¨
,¨¨~~=%¤@# 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=WOLVESǬCLIMBING,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,$# #@@£*%~-.¨
¨,»^&@@###   #§OF¤THE#WAY@HOME@¶TO#THE#TIME¶FROM##  ###@@&^»,¨
.,~«†¤#¶##  #¶WHERE#THEY#CAME,##@#@@#AND#THEN####   ##¶#¤†«~,.
.¨.,»*¤§@#   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS†KNOWLEDGE/«   #@§¤*»,.¨.
,.,,--=¤#@   -~BEING « STOLEN ~» FROM «~» THEM. ,   @#¤=--,,.,
..¨¨,^~*$¤          -» ,  «»« ¨  =¨  -»  -          ¤$*~^,¨¨..
.,..-=^&&@    ,   ,^          :                .    @&&^=-..,.
,.¨.=%¤#£@        ,      ,          .      *        @£#¤%=.¨.,
,¨^~†$£###                                          ###£$†~^¨,
,~~*&@¶###                   .#,                    ###¶@&*~~,
.,^-$%@£##                                          ##£@%$-^,.
.,.,»†@¤@#                   AND,                   #@¤@†»,.,.
,.,,:»$&¤@                                          @¤&$»:,,.,
,¨,¨¨-~*%§  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  §%*~-¨¨,¨,
,,,..~*£¤#        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       #¤£*~..,,,
.¨¨,~§*@##                                          ##@*§~,¨¨.
,¨~«*$£###                                          ###£$*«~¨,
¨~-^*&£###                                          ###£&*^-~¨
..,~=%§¶##                                          ##¶§%=~,..
¨,¨.«*$@@@                                          @@@$*«.¨,¨