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