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