...---~^^& &^^~---...
....~^^&@@ @@&^^~....
.-~/^&&&&& &&&&&^/~-.
...~/^^&@# #@&^^/~...
......~/^& &^/~......
.......~^& # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # &^~.......
.-~/^&&@## / 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. &¤£†~».,.,
.,,.~~«=&@ @&=«~~.,,.
,,~†*£§@@# #@@§£*†~,,
.-~-«§=&§& &§&=§«-~-.
,,»;*£@@## ##@@£*;»,,
.~=/%$¤£## ##£¤$%/=~.