,^»;^%####                                          ####%^;»^,
,,,,^^»;%#                                          #%;»^^,,,,
,^»;^%####                                          ####%^;»^,
,,,,»»;%##                                          ##%;»»,,,,
,^»;^%####                                          ####%^;»^,
,^»;^%####         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ####%^;»^,
,^»;^%####         ; 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.       @##££*†».,
.,=/*£¤#@#                                          #@#¤£*/=,.
.,~\*&&£@#                                          #@£&&*\~,.
.-~-=:$££§                                          §££$:=-~-.
,,¨¨,.:*%£                                          £%*:.,¨¨,,
.:~†=&&&§@                                          @§&&&=†~:.