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