,,,,,,;$## ##$;,,,,,,
,,«;^$&#@# #@#&$^;«,,
,,,,,,,«^& &^«,,,,,,,
,,«;^$&#@# #@#&$^;«,,
,,,,«;$$&# #&$$;«,,,,
,,,,,;^$#@ # «««««««««««««««««««« # @#$^;,,,,,
,,,,,«^$&# ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ; #&$^«,,,,,
,,«;^$&#@@ ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ; @@#&$^;«,,
,,,,,;$&## ; BRANCHED WAY BACK ; ##&$;,,,,,
,,«;^$&#@@ ; WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR ; @@#&$^;«,,
,,«;^$&#@# ; WAS ALMOST BARREN, ; #@#&$^;«,,
,,«;^$&#@# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, #@#&$^;«,,
,,,«««;^&@ 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. &£*»»,,.,¨
.,~\†£§£## ##£§£†\~,.
,,..,.,=&# #&=,.,..,,
,,»;*¤@@## ##@@¤*;»,,
,.¨.~*:*¤@ @¤*:*~.¨.,
,-~=%¤§@## ##@§¤%=~-,