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