.....^;@¶¶ ¶¶@;^.....
.^»;†@&¶¶¶ ¶¶¶&@†;»^.
....»»;@@¶ ¶@@;»»....
.^»;†@&¶@@ @@¶&@†;»^.
.^»;†@&¶@@ @@¶&@†;»^.
.^»;†@&&¶¶ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ¶¶&&@†;»^.
....^;††@¶ ; 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. ¤*^-,:..~.
..»†$$££## NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ##££$$†»..
,-~**§$£@@ @@£$§**~-,
,:~/†%¤### ###¤%†/~:,
¨.,¨,†£&## ##&£†,¨,.¨
¨^»;$%@#@# #@#@%$;»^¨
¨¨,»~†^$%& &%$^†~»,¨¨