.....,,=$¶                                          ¶$=,,.....
..,====$&¶                                          ¶&$====,..
.....==$¶@                                          @¶$==.....
.....==$&&                                          &&$==.....
.....==$$&                                          &$$==.....
.,==§&¶@##         # ==================== #         ##@¶&§==,.
....,===$¶         = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS =         ¶$===,....
.,=====§&@         = 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.        ###££†\~.,
,.~†$£¤@##                                          ##@¤£$†~.,
.~==^*^%£@                                          @£%^*^==~.
,,¨,^^^*@@                                          @@*^^^,¨,,
,,=/%@§##@                                          @##§@%/=,,
,,~†§*@@@#                                          #@@@*§†~,,