,-«==$$£££ £££$$==«-,
,-«=$$£@@@ @@@£$$=«-,
,,,,,--=$£ £$=--,,,,,
,-«=$$£@@# #@@£$$=«-,
,-«=$$£@@@ @@@£$$=«-,
,-«=$$$£££ # «««««««««««««««««««« # £££$$$=«-,
,,,,,,«$££ = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = ££$«,,,,,,
,-«=$$£@@# = IN A STALE TIMELINE, = #@@£$$=«-,
,-«=$$£@@# = BRANCHED WAY BACK = #@@£$$=«-,
,,,--««$£@ = WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR = @£$««--,,,
,-«===$£@@ = WAS ALMOST BARREN, = @@£$===«-,
,-«=$$£@@# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, #@@£$$=«-,
-«=$$£@@## AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, ##@@£$$=«-
,-«=$$£@@@ = AT ALL... = @@@£$$=«-,
,-«=$$£@@@ # «««««««««««««««««««« # @@@£$$=«-,
,--^*@¤@## ##@¤@*^--,
,.»=*¤¤#£@ 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. #@#&@^==..
,,~^$@&¶## ##¶&@$^~,,
¨-«;%$¤@@# #@@¤$%;«-¨
,-~†*@&¶## ##¶&@*†~-,
,,=^%££§@£ £@§££%^=,,
.~»:%§$¤@@ @@¤$§%:»~.