.^-^$@¤@## ##@¤@$^-^.
.^-^$@¤@## ##@¤@$^-^.
.....^-$@¤ ¤@$-^.....
.^-^$@¤@## ##@¤@$^-^.
.^-^$@¤@## ##@¤@$^-^.
.^-^$@¤@## # -------------------- # ##@¤@$^-^.
.^-^$@@### ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^ ###@@$^-^.
.^-^$@¤@## ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^ ##@¤@$^-^.
.^-^$@¤@## ^ BRANCHED WAY BACK ^ ##@¤@$^-^.
.....^^@@@ ^ 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. #££§=««^¨,
..¨.,»\£&& &&£\»,.¨..
...¨.~;$^# #^$;~.¨...
..,,¨.=%#¶ ¶#%=.¨,,..
,.~*^§=%@# #@%=§^*~.,
.,«:^£#### ####£^:«,.