,,,,,-^^$# #$^^-,,,,,
,,-\^$#### ####$^\-,,
,,-\^^^$## ##$^^^\-,,
,,-\^$#### ####$^\-,,
,,,,,,,\^# #^\,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-^# # -------------------- # #^-,,,,,,,
,,-\^$#### \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \ ####$^\-,,
,,-\^$#### \ IN A STALE TIMELINE, \ ####$^\-,,
,,-\^$#### \ BRANCHED WAY BACK \ ####$^\-,,
,,-\^$#### \ WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR \ ####$^\-,,
,,,,,-\$$# \ 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. ##§@*$/~,¨
.:-^%&£@£¶ ¶£@£&%^-:.
,,,.¨~-:$@ @$:-~¨.,,,
...¨¨.-†&£ £&†-.¨¨...
..¨..¨.=&@ @&=.¨..¨..
.~«//%**&# #&**%//«~.