,,,,==%%&#                                          #&%%==,,,,
,,=\%%&£##                                          ##£&%%\=,,
,,=\%%£###                                          ###£%%\=,,
,,=\%%&£##                                          ##£&%%\=,,
,,=\%%&£##                                          ##£&%%\=,,
,,,,==\%%£         # ==================== #         £%%\==,,,,
,,=\%%&###         \ 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.        ¶%$^\=»-¨.
¨,«\$*#¶##                                          ##¶#*$\«,¨
¨.«^*¤&@##                                          ##@&¤*^«.¨
,¨,~\:^$@&                                          &@$^:\~,¨,
,..,.,^«§@                                          @§«^,.,..,
,,=^*&@@@#                                          #@@@&*^=,,