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