,,,,,,.\$¶ ¶$\.,,,,,,
,.=\†$¤¶## ##¶¤$†\=.,
,.=\†††¤¤¤ ¤¤¤†††\=.,
,.=\†$¤¶## ##¶¤$†\=.,
,,,,,,.\$¶ ¶$\.,,,,,,
,.=\†$¤¶## # ==================== # ##¶¤$†\=.,
,,,.=††$¤¶ \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \ ¶¤$††=.,,,
,.=\†$¤¶## \ IN A STALE TIMELINE, \ ##¶¤$†\=.,
,.=\$¤¶### \ 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, ##$*~,,,¨.
,,«\^$#### ####$^\«,,
.,-%@##### NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #####@%-,.
,¨.--*%§*§ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. §*§%*--.¨,
,,»:^%£@## ##@£%^:»,,
,¨.:»^$&¤# #¤&$^»:.¨,
,¨:~«»=§££ ££§=»«~:¨,
¨:-*=¤¶### ###¶¤=*-:¨
.-~*§%§@## ##@§%§*~-.