¨¨¨¨¨:»=$# #$=»:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:»:=$£### ###£$=:»:¨
¨:»:=$$££# #££$$=:»:¨
¨:»:=$£### ###£$=:»:¨
¨:»:=$$$£# #£$$$=:»:¨
¨:»:::=£££ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # £££=:::»:¨
¨:»:=$££## : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS : ##££$=:»:¨
¨¨¨¨»»:=£# : 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= @£&*«,,¨¨,
,.,¨¨¨,:££ %$†BRIGHT§-=%A%SUDDEN%§AWARENESS# ££:,¨¨¨,.,
,,~†%££@## #@OF§#EXACTLY@¶HOW¤THEY&HAD@TRAVELED,&# ##@££%†~,,
¨.~=**§¶@@ ##OF#THE¶WAY@HOME££TO£THE¶TIME@FROM£# @@¶§**=~.¨
.,~*^%£@## #@WHERE#THEY#CAME,@##@###AND@THEN##@@ ##@£%^*~,.
,^=/=*&¶## #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE\» ##¶&*=/=^,
¨~-\%£@@## «~BEING » STOLEN ~- FROM =~~ THEM. ¨ ##@@£%\-~¨
,~»\§#£### =~ . ~«= ¨ ~, -- = ###£#§\»~,
,-~;^%£### - ~: : , ###£%^;~-,
.-»†§$&#@# . , . % #@#&$§†»-.
.:«=†%&@## ##@&%†=«:.
¨.¨.,¨~*%§ ¨#¨ §%*~¨,.¨.¨
¨..,,.;;*@ @*;;.,,..¨
¨:»\^%£@## AND, ##@£%^\»:¨
,:~=%£§@@# #@@§£%=~:,
,~-^†%%§#@ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. @#§%%†^-~,
,-«\%@#¶## NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ##¶#@%\«-,
.,~:*@&@@# #@@&@*:~,.
¨,¨¨~:^&¤@ @¤&^:~¨¨,¨
.~=\%%§#@@ @@#§%%\=~.
,¨:-:«*%¤& &¤%*«:-:¨,
,~-\%$§#@# #@#§$%\-~,