....,-†^$& &$^†-,....
.....,-†^$ $^†-,.....
....,-†^$& &$^†-,....
...,-†^$ #&$^†-,...
..,-†^$@ @#&$^†-,..
.,-†^$@# # -------------------- # #@#&$^†-,.
..,-†^$@ † 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, ¤$*:=:,,¨.
,..,«†**££ ££**†«,..,
..^-=†&§¶# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #¶§&†=-^..
¨,~^^£#### NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ####£^^~,¨
¨¨,~;**¤£# #£¤**;~,¨¨
,,.^=\*§£# #£§*\=^.,,
¨...:~;%£¤ ¤£%;~:...¨
,¨¨,¨,»/§$ $§/»,¨,¨¨,
,¨,.~~/^$# #$^/~~.,¨,