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