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