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