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