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