,^~:†%§¶## ##¶§%†:~^,
,^~:†%§¶## ##¶§%†:~^,
,,,,,^:†%¶ ¶%†:^,,,,,
,^~:†%§¶## ##¶§%†:~^,
,,,^::%§¶# #¶§%::^,,,
,,,^~::%¶# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # #¶%::~^,,,
,^~::::†%§ : 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. ###@*==~,,
,~~**§@@## ##@@§**~~,
,,.:,^:*@@ @@*:^,:.,,
..¨¨,,«*§¶ ¶§*«,,¨¨..
,,=^*¤*@@@ @@@*¤*^=,,
.¨.,.»;§@# #@§;».,.¨.