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