,-~:%*@### ###@*%:~-,
,-~:%*@@## ##@@*%:~-,
,,-~~~%%%@ @%%%~~~-,,
,~:%*@#### ####@*%:~,
,,,--~%@@# #@@%~--,,,
,-~:%*@### # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ###@*%:~-,
,-~:%*@### : 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. #@@#$%^~^¨
.-~:§%&@@# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #@@&%§:~-.
,¨,.,./=£# #£=/.,.,¨,
.:~\†$#@¶# #¶@#$†\~:.
,,,,.,\%@@ @@%\,.,,,,
¨,,,,,=§$& &$§=,,,,,¨
.,,.=^&£@@ @@£&^=.,,.