....,,:£## ##£:,,....
....~~$### ###$~~....
.,~:$£#### ####£$:~,.
.....,,:£# #£:,,.....
.,~:$£#### ####£$:~,.
.,~:$£#### # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ####£$:~,.
.,~:$£#### : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS : ####£$:~,.
.,~:$££### : IN A STALE TIMELINE, : ###££$:~,.
.....~$### : BRANCHED WAY BACK : ###$~.....
.....,:£## : 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. @#@§$=*~.,
,..-;%*&@¶ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¶@&*%;-..,
¨,~==&#@## ##@#&==~,¨
¨-«*†££¶## ##¶££†*«-¨
¨,..~»\¤#@ @#¤\»~..,¨
,^«/†$@@#@ @#@@$†/«^,
.:~/^%£@## ##@£%^/~:.