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