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