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