,,,,-~%&## ##&%~-,,,,
,-~\%%&#@@ @@#&%%\~-,
,,,,-~%%%& &%%%~-,,,,
,-~\%%&### ###&%%\~-,
,-~\%%&#@# #@#&%%\~-,
,-~\%%&### # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ###&%%\~-,
-~\%%&#@## \ 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. #@¶&$%*-~,
¨-«=§#@### ###@#§=«-¨
¨~=;§£##£@ @£##£§;=~¨
¨:»†*@&#@# #@#&@*†»:¨
.~-/*§@### ###@§*/-~.
¨~-:*$#£## ##£#$*:-~¨