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