.-«=§£@###                                          ###@£§=«-.
.-«=§£@###                                          ###@£§=«-.
....-«§££#                                          #££§«-....
......«=§@                                          @§=«......
.-««==§§£@                                          @£§§==««-.
.-«=§§§@##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##@§§§=«-.
.-«=§£@###         = 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.        ##^*^,,¨,.
.,...^§§£#                                          #£§§^...,.
.~-==£§@##                                          ##@§£==-~.
¨,~^$£@###                                          ###@£$^~,¨
¨.¨.«*§¤£@                                          @£¤§*«.¨.¨
.,~†^§¤@##                                          ##@¤§^†~,.