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