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