,,,,,:=^$&                                          &$^=:,,,,,
,:=^$%&&##                                          ##&&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###                                          ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###                                          ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###                                          ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###         # ==================== #         ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###         ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^         ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###         ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^         ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&&&#         ^  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ^         #&&&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###         ^  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ^         ###&%$^=:,
,,,,:=$%##         ^  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ^         ##%$=:,,,,
,:=^$%&### COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###         ^        AT ALL...     ^         ###&%$^=:,
,:=^$%&###         # ==================== #         ###&%$^=:,
¨,,.†^;$%§                                          §%$;^†.,,¨
¨:»;^&§@##     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.       ###§%=^~:.
,^»=%%£@##                                          ##@£%%=»^,
,.¨,¨^«=¤@                                          @¤=«^¨,¨.,
,¨.,=\†§#¶                                          ¶#§†\=,.¨,
,¨.,^»\*¶¶                                          ¶¶*\»^,.¨,
..»\†§&#@#                                          #@#&§†\»..