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