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