,.»;*§¤### ###¤§*;».,
,,.»;*§¤## ##¤§*;».,,
,.»;*§¤### ###¤§*;».,
,,.»;*§¤## ##¤§*;».,,
,.»;*§¤### ###¤§*;».,
,,.»;*§¤## # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ##¤§*;».,,
,.»;*§¤### ; 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. @£§£**«~¨¨
¨-~;*$¤#@# #@#¤$*;~-¨
.,~~:%*&@@ @@&*%:~~,.
,.~/§%&@@# #@@&%§/~.,
..~~:*£§£# #£§£*:~~..
..~/=£@#@# #@#@£=/~..