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