,:-^*$#@## ##@#$*^-:,
,:-^*$#@## ##@#$*^-:,
,:-^*$#@## ##@#$*^-:,
,:-^*$$$@# #@$$$*^-:,
,,,,,-^$#@ @#$^-,,,,,
,:-^^^$$## # -------------------- # ##$$^^^-:,
,,,,,-*$$@ ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^ @$$*-,,,,,
,:-^*$#@## ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^ ##@#$*^-:,
,:-^**$$## ^ BRANCHED WAY BACK ^ ##$$**^-:,
,:-^*$#@@# ^ WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR ^ #@@#$*^-:,
,:-^*$#### ^ WAS ALMOST BARREN, ^ ####$*^-:,
,:-^*$#@## COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ##@#$*^-:,
,,,:^**#@@ 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, #§@£*^*~-¨
.,¨¨.^^¤&£ £&¤^^.¨¨,.
,-~†\=$£§# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #§£$=\†~-,
.¨¨~-»\*$¶ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¶$*\»-~¨¨.
.,«:$£@¶## ##¶@£$:«,.
¨,¨,¨.«$*@ @*$«.¨,¨,¨
....^/=§#@ @#§=/^....
,-~;^&§##@ @##§&^;~-,
..~\%¤#### ####¤%\~..