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