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