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