,~~=%%@### ###@%%=~~,
,,~~=%%@## ##@%%=~~,,
,,,~~=%%@# #@%%=~~,,,
,,,,~~=%%@ @%%=~~,,,,
,,,,,~~=%% %%=~~,,,,,
,,,,~~=%%@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @%%=~~,,,,
,,,~~=%%@# = 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. . £¤*;»,..¨.
....,,=*%$ ~- . ~~= , «, .~ ~ $%*=,,....
.¨¨¨^«***£ . -~ ~ , £***«^¨¨¨.
¨,¨,-;§¤¤@ ¨ , , = @¤¤§;-,¨,¨
.,,«†§¤@@# #@@¤§†«,,.
,-«;$&§### ¨#. ###§&$;«-,
,..~=†¤@@# #@@¤†=~..,
,¨.:»/=£¤@ AND, @¤£=/»:.¨,
.,.¨-~=*&# #&*=~-¨.,.
.,¨,¨,~\^% NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. %^\~,¨,¨,.
.,¨,--:§£& NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. &£§:--,¨,.
¨...«*=%§# #§%=*«...¨
,¨^»;§$¤@# #@¤$§;»^¨,
.:~*$&@### ###@&$*~:.
¨,^-†%$@## ##@$%†-^,¨
,¨.--:=@¤# #¤@=:--.¨,