,,,,**£§§#                                          #§§£**,,,,
,,~**£§¶¶#                                          #¶¶§£**~,,
,,~**£§¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶§£**~,,
,,~**£§¶##                                          ##¶§£**~,,
,,~**£§¶##                                          ##¶§£**~,,
,,,,,**£§#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #§£**,,,,,
,,~**£§¶##         * 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.  ##¶¤§†;=-¨
¨..~~»§$££        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ££$§»~~..¨
..~;§&@@##                                          ##@@&§;~..
,:=†*§&###                                          ###&§*†=:,
¨,¨,¨»\†££                                          ££†\»¨,¨,¨
..«†§%£¶##                                          ##¶£%§†«..
.,,,.¨,†*&                                          &*†,¨.,,,.