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