,:«\%%&@@# #@@&%%\«:,
,:««««%%%@ @%%%««««:,
,:«\%%%&&@ @&&%%%\«:,
,,,:\\\%&@ @&%\\\:,,,
,,,,,:«%%& &%%«:,,,,,
,:«\%%&&@@ # «««««««««««««««««««« # @@&&%%\«:,
,,,:««\%&@ \ 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. ###£#£%*=,
,:«»«~**## ##**~«»«:,
¨:~:*&§### ###§&*:~:¨
,~=:§&£### ###£&§:=~,
¨,»:$£#@## ##@#£$:»,¨
.-«/$$§¶@# #@¶§$$/«-.