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