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