,,,,*§@@@@ @@@@§*,,,,
,,,,,,*§@@ @@§*,,,,,,
,,»*§@@@## ##@@@§*»,,
,,»*§@@@@# #@@@@§*»,,
,,,,,*§§@@ @@§§*,,,,,
,,,,,,,»§@ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # @§»,,,,,,,
,,»*§@@@@@ * 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. §§*$†;\«,,
¨-~;†&#### NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ####&†;~-¨
¨,¨,¨,-§*¤ ¤*§-,¨,¨,¨
¨~»:%£§### ###§£%:»~¨
,^~/%%#¶## ##¶#%%/~^,
¨.¨.,«:&&£ £&&:«,.¨.¨
¨:~†$§@£@@ @@£@§$†~:¨