¨¨-»»;†$## ##$†;»»-¨¨
¨-»;†$#### ####$†;»-¨
¨-»;†$$$## ##$$$†;»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»†# #†»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-»;†# #†;»-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-»»;†$# # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # #$†;»»-¨¨¨
¨¨¨---;;$# ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ; #$;;---¨¨¨
¨-»;†$#### ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ; ####$†;»-¨
¨-»;†$#### ; BRANCHED WAY BACK ; ####$†;»-¨
¨¨¨--;;$## ; WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR ; ##$;;--¨¨¨
¨¨--»»†### ; 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. ####&†*~-,
,.=:%¤&@@@ @@@&¤%:=.,
¨¨,-=*†¤@& &@¤†*=-,¨¨
,¨,.-»-*¤¶ ¶¤*-»-.,¨,
,.,..-~=%& &%=~-..,.,
.¨,^-=*&@@ @@&*=-^,¨.