,,~*%££§##                                          ##§££%*~,,
,,~*%£§###                                          ###§£%*~,,
,,~*%£§###                                          ###§£%*~,,
,,,,~*%§##                                          ##§%*~,,,,
,,~*%£§###                                          ###§£%*~,,
,,,,~~*%§#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #§%*~~,,,,
,,,,,~%§##         * 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.        ##@¤£*:~~,
¨~»/^%£###                                          ###£%^/»~¨
¨,~;^@£@##                                          ##@£@^;~,¨
¨,~:*§####                                          ####§*:~,¨
¨,»*§@££##                                          ##££@§*»,¨
¨¨.,«»*£@@                                          @@£*»«,.¨¨