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