.--^§&@@@# #@@@&§^--.
....-^^^&@ @&^^^-....
.....-^^&@ @&^^-.....
.--^^§§§&@ @&§§§^^--.
.--^§&@@@@ @@@@&§^--.
.--^§&@@@# # -------------------- # #@@@&§^--.
....---^§@ ^ 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. ###@$†*~-¨
.--:=£#@@# #@@#£=:--.
¨:=:§£$$¶£ £¶$$£§:=:¨
.¨,,.-:§§@ @§§:-.,,¨.
¨,¨¨,~,**£ £**,~,¨¨,¨
,-~;*£¤£#¶ ¶#£¤£*;~-,