.,-==§¶### ###¶§==-,.
....,-=§§§ §§§=-,....
.,-=====§§ §§=====-,.
.,-==§§¶## ##¶§§==-,.
.,-==§§¶## ##¶§§==-,.
......-==§ # -------------------- # §==-......
.,,--==§§§ = 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$SUDDEN%£AWARENESS# §#@£/^=-,,
¨^=\=£¤### #@OF%§EXACTLYHOW§THEY@HAD¤TRAVELED,¤# ###¤£=\=^¨
¨.~:*%¤£@# ##OF£THE@WAY@HOME@@TO@THE#TIME¶FROM@@ #@£¤%*:~.¨
,.-\*%§@&£ #£WHERE@THEY#CAME,#@#####AND@THEN#@#@ £&@§%*\-.,
.,~~-%@££# #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS†KNOWLEDGE\~ #££@%-~~,.
.,«^*¤#### «-BEING ~ STOLEN «- FROM =»- THEM. , ####¤*^«,.
.-«*§§#£@# «= . »«= ¨ », :~ ~ #@£#§§*«-.
¨~«†%££¶## . ., . ¨ ##¶££%†«~¨
,-~=§§@@## , , . % ##@@§§=~-,
.^~;§$#@## ##@#$§;~^.
.,=:%¤¤### ¨#¨ ###¤¤%:=,.
.^«†%&&¶## ##¶&&%†«^.
¨,»/%£§#@# AND, #@#§£%/»,¨
,.,.¨,~%*@ @*%~,¨.,.,
.^«†$§#@## NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ##@#§$†«^.
¨-=†$£¤¶## NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ##¶¤£$†=-¨
¨:~\*%££@# #@££%*\~:¨
,^»;$%&£@# #@£&%$;»^,
¨,..~*^:*£ £*:^*~..,¨
¨¨,¨^.»†£@ @£†».^¨,¨¨
¨.-†*=£¤&@ @&¤£=*†-.¨