,,,,,~\%## ##%\~,,,,,
,~~\%%%### ###%%%\~~,
,,,~~~~%%# #%%~~~~,,,
,~~\%%#### ####%%\~~,
,~~\%%#### ####%%\~~,
,~~\%%#### # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ####%%\~~,
,~~\%##### \ 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. @£&==-,..¨
.:~:%£@@## ##@@£%:~:.
¨.~^%$§£## ##£§$%^~.¨
,¨,..,=$@# #@$=,..,¨,
,^~^$@&### ###&@$^~^,
,-~\†*§@## ##@§*†\~-,