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