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