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