..«;*££@@# #@@££*;«..
...«;*££@@ @@££*;«...
..«;*££@@# #@@££*;«..
...«;*££@@ @@££*;«...
..«;*££@@# #@@££*;«..
...«;*££@@ # «««««««««««««««««««« # @@££*;«...
..«;*££@@# ; 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. #¶#%†\~-¨.
.~~=*£¤@## ##@¤£*=~~.
¨,-»\^¤@¶@ @¶@¤^\»-,¨
¨,«/*@&### ###&@*/«,¨
.,,=:=@&@# #@&@=:=,,.
¨,~:^@@#@# #@#@@^:~,¨