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