,,»\^$§@## ##@§$^\»,,
,,,»\^^$§§ §§$^^\»,,,
,,»»»»»^^§ §^^»»»»»,,
,,»\^$§@## ##@§$^\»,,
,,,,,,»\$§ §$\»,,,,,,
,,,,,,\$@@ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # @@$\,,,,,,
,,»\^$§@## \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \ ##@§$^\»,,
,,»\\^^^^§ \ 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. ##@@§==~.¨
.:»^=%@### ###@%=^»:.
¨:«;*&§@@# #@@§&*;«:¨
¨:«;%@£@@# #@@£@%;«:¨
,.¨¨¨-\^¤# #¤^\-¨¨¨.,
¨¨.»\;:*£@ @£*:;\».¨¨