,,,,,,-^## ##^-,,,,,,
,,,,,,=&&@ @&&=,,,,,,
,,-=^&#@## ##@#&^=-,,
,,-=^&&### ###&&^=-,,
,,-=^&#@## ##@#&^=-,,
,,-=^&#@## # -------------------- # ##@#&^=-,,
,,-===&#@@ = 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. #%*:=«.¨.,
¨.~^$§#### NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ####§$^~.¨
¨,¨¨-=*$§# #§$*=-¨¨,¨
,¨¨,,~†%#§ §#%†~,,¨¨,
,~«»~$†§## ##§†$~»«~,
,~»;§=¤*@# #@*¤=§;»~,
¨:=:$&££@# #@££&$:=:¨