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