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