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