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