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