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