,~~;=%@### ###@%=;~~,
,~~;=%@### ###@%=;~~,
,,,,,~;;%# #%;;~,,,,,
,,,~;;;;=@ @=;;;;~,,,
,,,,,,~;%# #%;~,,,,,,
,~~;=%@### # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ###@%=;~~,
,~~;=%@### ; 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. ###£%«,¨¨,
¨.~*$$&¶@# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #@¶&$$*~.¨
¨.,.^†¤¤¤# #¤¤¤†^.,.¨
¨:=^:†*¤¤£ £¤¤*†:^=:¨
.-~:^@£### ###£@^:~-.
.,,,¨,/$§£ £§$/,¨,,,.
,.-=/*¤&£# #£&¤*/=-.,