,~«^^***@@ @@***^^«~,
,~«^*@@@@# #@@@@*^«~,
,~«^*@@@@# #@@@@*^«~,
,,,,«***@@ @@***«,,,,
,~«^*****@ @*****^«~,
,~«^**@@@@ # «««««««««««««««««««« # @@@@**^«~,
,,,,,,,«*@ ^ 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. #@@££$\«-.
,,==†%£# #£#&%†==,,
¨¨¨-==^*#@ @#*^==-¨¨¨
.,,,«:§£## ##£§:«,,,.
,,¨.^~^¤£@ @£¤^~^.¨,,
.,=**£@### ###@£**=,.