.-~=%@@@@# #@@@@%=~-.
.-~=%@@@## ##@@@%=~-.
...~===@@@ @@@===~...
.-~=%@@### ###@@%=~-.
.-~=%@@@## ##@@@%=~-.
.-~=%@@@## # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ##@@@%=~-.
.-~=%@@@## = 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. §%†»-,-^¨¨
.,-†^¤#¶## ##¶#¤^†-,.
,-~;%£@¶## ##¶@£%;~-,
¨,~-«*%%¤# #¤%%*«-~,¨
,-~\$%#### ####%$\~-,
.,~/^*¤### ###¤*^/~,.