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