,--=$*&¶## ##¶&*$=--,
,,,,-==*&¶ ¶&*==-,,,,
,,,,-=$$&& &&$$=-,,,,
,--=$*&¶## ##¶&*$=--,
,,,,-=*&&# #&&*=-,,,,
,,,---=*&& # -------------------- # &&*=---,,,
,--=$*&¶¶¶ = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = ¶¶¶&*$=--,
,,,,--=**¶ = 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. #@£§£*^~,,
.:«:*%¤##@ @##¤%*:«:.
,,,~.\^$¤£ £¤$^\.~,,,
,:-/*¤#@## ##@#¤*/-:,
¨:«=†$&#@# #@#&$†=«:¨
,,.~~%$%#£ £#%$%~~.,,