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