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