,,,~~;$$@¶ ¶@$$;~~,,,
,.~;$@@¶## ##¶@@$;~.,
,.~;$@@@@¶ ¶@@@@$;~.,
,,,,,~;@@@ @@@;~,,,,,
,,,,,.~$@@ @@$~.,,,,,
,,,,,,~;$@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @$;~,,,,,,
,,,..~;;$@ ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ; @$;;~..,,,
,.~;$@@¶## ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ; ##¶@@$;~.,
,,,,,..;$@ ; BRANCHED WAY BACK ; @$;..,,,,,
,.~;$@@¶## ; WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR ; ##¶@@$;~.,
,.~;$@@¶## ; WAS ALMOST BARREN, ; ##¶@@$;~.,
,,,,,~;$$@ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, @$$;~,,,,,
,.~;$@@¶## AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, ##¶@@$;~.,
,..~;;@@@@ ; 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. ##@&£$†«-¨
.,»:*$@££@ @££@$*:»,.
¨,«^$£#@@# #@@#£$^«,¨
.,»†^@@@#@ @#@@@^†»,.
,^»/†¤@¤#@ @#¤@¤†/»^,
.,,.¨~«$#@ @#$«~¨.,,.