,~»:%$##@@ @@##$%:»~,
,,,,,»:$@@ @@$:»,,,,,
,~»:%$#@## ##@#$%:»~,
,~»:%$$$## ##$$$%:»~,
,~»:%$#@@@ @@@#$%:»~,
,,,~»:%%#@ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # @#%%:»~,,,
,~»:%$#### : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS : ####$%:»~,
,~»:%$#@## : IN A STALE TIMELINE, : ##@#$%:»~,
,~»:%$##@# : BRANCHED WAY BACK : #@##$%:»~,
,~»:%$$##@ : WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR : @##$$%:»~,
,~»:%$#@## : WAS ALMOST BARREN, : ##@#$%:»~,
,~»:%$#@## COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ##@#$%:»~,
,~»:%$#@## AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, ##@#$%:»~,
,~»:%$#@## : AT ALL... : ##@#$%:»~,
,~»%$#@### # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###@#$%»~,
,.,¨¨¨,\$& &$\,¨¨¨,.,
.¨,¨.=«*§£ MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE £§*«=.¨,¨.
¨-»;^*£@## LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK, ##@£*^;»-¨
¨^~;=£@### FINDING INSTEAD ONLY STONE AND DIRT AND ###@£=;~^¨
.,»*$¤£### 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. ####%^\-..
,¨¨:=-$†§# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #§†$-=:¨¨,
..~^*&£§¤£ £¤§£&*^~..
,.¨:,«=$&@ @&$=«,:¨.,
,:=††¤§@## ##@§¤††=:,
.,-;†§§@## ##@§§†;-,.
,,,~==/%$# #$%/==~,,,