,,,,,,,-$£                                          £$-,,,,,,,
,,,,-;;$££                                          ££$;;-,,,,
,,,--;$£@#                                          #@£$;--,,,
,,,,,;$££#                                          #££$;,,,,,
,,,,,,--$£                                          £$--,,,,,,
,,,,,,;$$£         # -------------------- #         £$$;,,,,,,
,,-;$*£@##         ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ;         ##@£*$;-,,
,,,,,,-$££         ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ;         ££$-,,,,,,
,,,,,-$**£         ;  BRANCHED WAY BACK   ;         £**$-,,,,,
,,,,,;;$££         ;  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  ;         ££$;;,,,,,
,,-;$$$$£#         ;  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  ;         #£$$$$;-,,
,,-;$*£@@@  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.       #¶#@**^=^¨
¨¨¨,,~,*¤¤                                          ¤¤*,~,,¨¨¨
.,~:%%£#¶@                                          @¶#£%%:~,.
,.»^†&@#@¶                                          ¶@#@&†^».,
¨,-=%§§@##                                          ##@§§%=-,¨
.~-^$§%&£@                                          @£&%§$^-~.