,~«***&#@# #@#&***«~,
,,,,,,~**& &**~,,,,,,
,~«***&#@# #@#&***«~,
,~«***&#@@ @@#&***«~,
,~«***&#@@ @@#&***«~,
,,~~****&& # «««««««««««««««««««« # &&****~~,,
,,,,,~«**& * 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, #£%†\-^,,.
¨,~\$£##@# #@##£$\~,¨
,~~;%£¤¶## NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ##¶¤£%;~~,
,,=;*$££$£ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. £$££$*;=,,
,,«=*¤£@## ##@£¤*=«,,
,-~;$%&£@# #@£&%$;~-,
,,»%%£#### ####£%%»,,
,,¨.=~%@§& &§@%~=.¨,,
,--\*%§### ###§%*\--,