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