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