.,=:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:=,.
......,=%&                                          &%=,......
.,=:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&@##         # ==================== #         ##@&$%:=,.
...,=:$$@@         : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS :         @@$$:=,...
.,=:%$&@##         : IN A STALE TIMELINE, :         ##@&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&@##         :  BRANCHED WAY BACK   :         ##@&$%:=,.
.....=%%%&         :  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.        @¤%*-~,¨.,
,^~==@#@##                                          ##@#@==~^,
,,¨,,:-=%@                                          @%=-:,,¨,,
.,,.,:*$¤#                                          #¤$*:,.,,.
,,..,~$§^&                                          &^§$~,..,,
,¨..»%§£¤£                                          £¤£§%»..¨,