....-:%@££ ££@%:-....
.....-:%@£ £@%:-.....
......-:%@ @%:-......
.....-:%@£ £@%:-.....
....-:%@££ ££@%:-....
...-:%@££# # -------------------- # #££@%:-...
..-:%@££## : 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$$AWARENESS# ##¶£¤%^~,.
¨¨,-=%*§@# #$OF@¤EXACTLY&@HOW@THEY#HAD&TRAVELED,£# #@§*%=-,¨¨
¨.¨,~:=%## #§OF@THE#WAY¶HOME#@TO£THE@TIME£FROM## ##%=:~,¨.¨
,..¨^-^$££ #@WHERE#THEY#CAME,#@#@###AND#THEN##@# ££$^-^¨..,
.,¨..~~^†$ #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE\» $†^~~..¨,.
¨,¨¨,~/=$@ ~»BEING « STOLEN «~ FROM =«~ THEM. ¨ @$=/~,¨¨,¨
..,~~^=$¤# == ¨ =-~ , =, -« » #¤$=^~~,..
,.,~/†%#@# : :, , . #@#%†/~,.,
,--^†%¤@## . , . % ##@¤%†^--,
,,.~;^%£@@ @@£%^;~.,,
..¨^«/^§£¶ .#. ¶£§^/«^¨..
,,¨.-~=†@£ £@†=~-.¨,,
¨¨¨¨,-«*^* AND, *^*«-,¨¨¨¨
,,¨.,«/%%@ @%%/«,.¨,,
¨..,~\%@#@ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. @#@%\~,..¨
.¨-«^†%@#@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @#@%†^«-¨.
.~»\%§&@@# #@@&§%\»~.
¨,,==$$¤#@ @#¤$$==,,¨
.,¨:»\†$#£ £#$†\»:¨,.
.,..,-/^&£ £&^/-,..,.
¨,..¨.«\** **\«.¨..,¨