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