^=†%$##### #####$%†=^
.^=†%$#### ####$%†=^.
^=†%$##### #####$%†=^
.^=†%$#### ####$%†=^.
^=†%$##### #####$%†=^
.^=†%$#### # ==================== # ####$%†=^.
^=†%$##### † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS † #####$%†=^
.^=†%$#### † IN A STALE TIMELINE, † ####$%†=^.
^=†%$##### † BRANCHED WAY BACK † #####$%†=^
.^=†%$#### † WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR † ####$%†=^.
^=†%$##### † WAS ALMOST BARREN, † #####$%†=^
.^=†%$#### COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ####$%†=^.
^=†%$##### AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, #####$%†=^
.^=†%$#### † AT ALL... † ####$%†=^.
^=†%$##### # ==================== # #####$%†=^
.,-**%@@## ##@@%**-,.
,~=^£##### 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, ###£#*$^~,
.-«:^£¤@@# #@@¤£^:«-.
-=:%%£#### NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ####£%%:=-
¨,~†*%#### NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ####%*†~,¨
^-^%$¤@@## ##@@¤$%^-^
¨^«==&£¶@# #@¶£&==«^¨
,«^=%¤£### ###£¤%=^«,
,-»:=§#@## ##@#§=:»-,
-~=*%¤£### ###£¤%*=~-