,,,,:~==¤# #¤==~:,,,,
,:~†=*¤### ###¤*=†~:,
,:~†=*#### ####*=†~:,
,,,:~††*¤# #¤*††~:,,,
,:~†=*¤### ###¤*=†~:,
,:~=*¤#### # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ####¤*=~:,
,,:::†*¤## † 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. ##@@$*==,.
,^~†=%##@# ,^=DARK~WOLVES~.CLIMBING,OUT^OF,.,= #@##%=†~^,
,,~;%%§@## ~«~THE=POOL,»SURROUNDING;THEM\-*^/ ##@§%%;~,,
,,-†§£&@## :SUDDEN†THOUGHTS;OF-=;CLIMBING^%* ##@&£§†-,,
.~«**£§¤@@ INTO=THE;POOL,%THEIR†THIRST*FLARING§ @@¤§£**«~.
,¨.,.,^*§£ =*^BRIGHT$-*$A%SUDDEN*%AWARENESS# £§*^,.,.¨,
,,¨~=~~:£# #£OF§§EXACTLY&¶HOW#THEY#HAD&TRAVELED,£# #£:~~=~¨,,
..~†%&¶# #£OF#THE#WAY@HOME@#TO#THE#TIME#FROM## #¶#&&%†~..
.¨,,,::*£@ #@WHERE@THEY@CAME,##@####AND#THEN#### @£*::,,,¨.
,¨¨,.-*=*¶ #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE*« ¶*=*-.,¨¨,
,..,,-./%# »«BEING » STOLEN == FROM ~~~ THEM. , #%/.-,,..,
,¨,,:--\%# ~~ . »~« , «¨ .~ « #%\--:,,¨,
,¨¨,=*@$#@ ^ :: ~ . @#$@*=,¨¨,
.¨¨.,.«**# , ¨ ¨ % #**«.,.¨¨.
.,~/†%&£§£ £§£&%†/~,.
..,..«=%£# ,#¨ #£%=«..,..
.,,.^**¤$@ @$¤**^.,,.
,~«:**&@## AND, ##@&**:«~,
.:«/%$&@@# #@@&$%/«:.
.^«†*§££@# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #@££§*†«^.
...¨,,«*%£ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. £%*«,,¨...
.:=^$&§@§£ £§@§&$^=:.
,,~\*£## ###&£*\~,,
.,«†$@§@@# #@@§@$†«,.
.,¨.,=$¤ ¤#&$=,.¨,.
,--**%£&£& &£&£%**--,