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