,~-:*@££@# #@££@*:-~,
,,,,,,,-*£ £*-,,,,,,,
,,,,--*@£@ @£@*--,,,,
,~-:*@££@# #@££@*:-~,
,~-:*@££££ ££££@*:-~,
,~-:*@££@# # -------------------- # #@££@*:-~,
,~-:*@£££@ : 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. @¶&†..,...
,:«==¤#@## ##@#¤==«:,
,¨.¨.-§$=£ £=$§-.¨.¨,
.,=†**#### ####**†=,.
¨-»††§£@## ##@£§††»-¨
.¨,,¨-†§@# #@§†-¨,,¨.