¨¨¨,,:&&&@ @&&&:,,¨¨¨
¨,=:†&@@@@ @@@@&†:=,¨
¨,,,,:†&@# #@&†:,,,,¨
¨,=:†&@@## ##@@&†:=,¨
¨¨¨¨,,=††@ @††=,,¨¨¨¨
¨,=:†&@@## # ==================== # ##@@&†:=,¨
¨¨,,==†@@# : 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, #@¶££=*-^¨
¨:«\=£@@## ##@@£=\«:¨
,:-/$£¤¤¶# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #¶¤¤£$/-:,
¨,=/$$££## NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ##££$$/=,¨
.,¨¨¨«/=§¤ ¤§=/«¨¨¨,.
¨--\§$¤#@# #@#¤$§\--¨
.¨,,¨¨«%=@ @=%«¨¨,,¨.
¨--/§¤¤### ###¤¤§/--¨
,,«^%¤@### ###@¤%^«,,