....^††&¶# #¶&††^....
.^-§&§¶### ###¶§&§-^.
.^-†§&§¶## ##¶§&§†-^.
.....^†&&§ §&&†^.....
.^-†§&§¶## ##¶§&§†-^.
....-§§§§§ # -------------------- # §§§§§-....
.^-†§&§¶## † 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. , ###¤$%†~:¨
.:-=*$&¤¤@ «- . ==~ , =, ^= - @¤¤&$*=-:.
¨,.~/%†@§@ ^ ,~ - ¨ @§@†%/~.,¨
,,~;§$¤@@# , . , § #@@¤$§;~,,
..==%%%¤£# #£¤%%%==..
¨:~:*%&¶## ¨#¨ ##¶&%*:~:¨
¨:-†^%## ###&%^†-:¨
,¨¨,¨=*£%# AND, #%£*=¨,¨¨,
,,,¨¨«;£@£ £@£;«¨¨,,,
,.«:§£#### NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ####£§:«.,
.^~=†£¤£@# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #@£¤£†=~^.
..«^$@## ##@#&$^«..
¨.=*=§@### ###@§=*=.¨
,,»††@#### ####@††»,,
.,~;%¤$£¤# #¤£$¤%;~,.
.¨.,~;*^%@ @%^*;~,.¨.