,^=^*@&### ###&@*^=^,
,,,,,=*@## ##@*=,,,,,
,^=^*@&### ###&@*^=^,
,,,,,^=^*& &*^=^,,,,,
,^=^*@&### ###&@*^=^,
,^=^*@&### # ==================== # ###&@*^=^,
,^=^*@&### ^ 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*- #@¶¤$§=~:,
,-~;\†*%%£ ~-BEING ~ STOLEN == FROM ~=~ THEM. ¨ £%%*†\;~-,
,-=:$*&%#£ »» . =-- ¨ =. ,- « £#%&*$:=-,
¨¨:,=/§$&# . :, - , #&$§/=,:¨¨
.¨.,,./*#§ . , , ^ §#*/.,,.¨.
,..,,~/$*@ @*$/~,,..,
,-«\=*£#&@ ,#¨ @&#£*=\«-,
¨¨¨,.-%¤¶@ @¶¤%-.,¨¨¨
,,:,=:%†%@ AND, @%†%:=,:,,
¨-~;§@£§#£ £#§£@§;~-¨
,:«=%¤£@## NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ##@£¤%=«:,
..»*%£@@## NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ##@@£%*»..
¨,...^££@@ @@££^...,¨
¨:«:*@££## ##££@*:«:¨
¨¨.¨.,¨~†@ @†~¨,.¨.¨¨
,:»=$¤&¶## ##¶&¤$=»:,
..-/=££#£# #£#££=/-..