¨:==†&#@## ##@#&†==:¨
¨¨¨::==&## ##&==::¨¨¨
¨:==†&#### ####&†==:¨
¨:==†&#@## ##@#&†==:¨
¨:==†&#@## ##@#&†==:¨
¨:==†&#### # ==================== # ####&†==:¨
¨:==†&#@## = 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. . #@@§$%=~..
¨-=*†*@@§@ »~ . ==~ ¨ -, ~= « @§@@*†*=-¨
¨-~;\*$%¤@ , :, ^ ¨ @¤%$*\;~-¨
..¨¨-,~~*£ ¨ . ¨ † £*~~,-¨¨..
¨,.,.,^£&# #&£^,.,.,¨
,,~:%%@### .#¨ ###@%%:~,,
¨¨,¨~/§### ###§/~¨,¨¨
..¨,^,;&&§ AND, §&&;,^,¨..
..^~~==%¤£ £¤%==~~^..
.-=*§¤&&&@ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. @&&&¤§*=-.
¨~=†**&@#@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @#@&**†=~¨
,,»†$£§@@# #@@§£$†»,,
¨-~/%£&#@# #@#&£%/~-¨
,¨.,~$&&¶£ £¶&&$~,.¨,
,~-^%%&@@# #@@&%%^-~,
,-=:§££### ###££§:=-,