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