.....-=§## ##§=-.....
.-»»»§§#¶# #¶#§§»»»-.
....»»==$¶ ¶$==»»....
.-»=§§§$$# #$$§§§=»-.
.»=§$#¶### ###¶#$§=».
.....»=$$¶ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ¶$$=».....
.-»=§$#¶## = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = ##¶#$§=»-.
.-»=§$#¶## = IN A STALE TIMELINE, = ##¶#$§=»-.
.-»=§$$$## = BRANCHED WAY BACK = ##$$$§=»-.
.-»=§$#¶## = WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR = ##¶#$§=»-.
.-»=§$#### = WAS ALMOST BARREN, = ####$§=»-.
....-»=§$¶ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¶$§=»-....
.....»§### 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$KNOWLEDGE/- #@§=-.:..,
,^»†§*#### ~=BEING ~ STOLEN -= FROM ~~» THEM. . ####*§†»^,
¨¨,~=«*$#@ -= , -~» . =¨ ,« « @#$*«=~,¨¨
¨:«\^¤$¤¤# ~ ~, . . #¤¤$¤^\«:¨
,¨,~»«\==§ ¨ , ¨ ^ §==\«»~,¨,
¨-~:%£§@## ##@§£%:~-¨
.¨¨~»~=$£# .#, #£$=~»~¨¨.
¨,,¨.:^&@@ @@&^:.¨,,¨
¨:~=§%¤@## AND, ##@¤%§=~:¨
¨^=†%*#@@# #@@#*%†=^¨
,,-^^¤#£¶# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #¶£#¤^^-,,
.,.,~»=££¶ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¶££=»~,.,.
,.=:†*§@@# #@@§*†:=.,
.^~:†£&@## ##@&£†:~^.
,,-/$¤#### ####¤$/-,,
,~-/$@¤@@@ @@@¤@$/-~,
..¨,-===¤@ @¤===-,¨..