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