.~»\$&¤### ###¤&$\»~.
..~»\$&¤## ##¤&$\»~..
...~»\$&¤# #¤&$\»~...
....~»\$&¤ ¤&$\»~....
...~»\$&¤# #¤&$\»~...
..~»\$&¤## # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ##¤&$\»~..
.~»\$&¤### \ 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,$# #@£$$*~^.,
,.¨,=:%$£# #§OF¤THE#WAY#HOME¶@TO#THE#TIME#FROM¶£ #£$%:=,¨.,
,...,=/%%¤ #@WHERE@THEY#CAME,@@#@@#@AND#THEN#@## ¤%%/=,...,
..,^-†*¤§£ #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS^KNOWLEDGE;= £§¤*†-^,..
..~»†^%§@# -=BEING « STOLEN =~ FROM »-= THEM. , #@§%^†»~..
.,«*=¤¤### -« . =~« ¨ «. ~= « ###¤¤=*«,.
¨¨,~/§@&@@ , :- - ¨ @@&@§/~,¨¨
¨,..-\**## ¨ , . % ##**\-..,¨
¨,..:»/%$& &$%/»:..,¨
,,¨,»;§£#@ .#¨ @#£§;»,¨,,
.,,«\$&§#@ @#§&$\«,,.
.,~**@§£## AND, ##£§@**~,.
,¨:»:%%@@# #@@%%:»:¨,
¨¨..-*%%## NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ##%%*-..¨¨
.,..^~\§$@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @$§\~^..,.
.,,~~^$$@¶ ¶@$$^~~,,.
.,~-†*¤&## ##&¤*†-~,.
.~=†%%£@## ##@£%%†=~.
¨,.~=$£&£# #£&£$=~.,¨
.¨,,«;†*§# #§*†;«,,¨.