,:«*%$#### ####$%*«:,
,,,,:**%@# #@%**:,,,,
,:«*%$@### ###@$%*«:,
,,,,,::*%@ @%*::,,,,,
,,,,:«*$@# #@$*«:,,,,
,,,,,,««%@ # «««««««««««««««««««« # @%««,,,,,,
,:«*%$@### * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS * ###@$%*«:,
,,,:«%$@@# * IN A STALE TIMELINE, * #@@$%«:,,,
,,,,:*%@@# * 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. @#@§@=;»^.
¨-=/$¤£¶#@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @#¶£¤$/=-¨
¨,,~*=§§%£ £%§§=*~,,¨
,,.,.-§*@& &@*§-.,.,,
,.,¨¨:«†^# #^†«:¨¨,.,
,.-/$¤#@@@ @@@#¤$/-.,
.^=/†@#£@# #@£#@†/=^.