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