,:/$¤@#@## ##@#@¤$/:,
,:«/$¤@#@@ @@#@¤$/«:,
,,,,://$¤@ @¤$//:,,,,
,::::«/$@@ @@$/«::::,
,:«/$¤@#@# #@#@¤$/«:,
,:«/$¤@##@ # «««««««««««««««««««« # @##@¤$/«:,
,:«/$¤@@#@ / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS / @#@@¤$/«:,
,:/$¤@#@## / IN A STALE TIMELINE, / ##@#@¤$/:,
,:«/$¤@@@@ / BRANCHED WAY BACK / @@@@¤$/«:,
,:«/$¤@##@ / WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR / @##@¤$/«:,
,,,,:«/$¤# / WAS ALMOST BARREN, / #¤$/«:,,,,
,:«/$¤@#@# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, #@#@¤$/«:,
,,,«//$@@@ AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, @@@$//«,,,
,:«/$¤@##@ / AT ALL... / @##@¤$/«:,
,:«/$¤@#@# # «««««««««««««««««««« # #@#@¤$/«:,
,,~::§=@#@ @#@=§::~,,
¨,¨,.,.~^£ 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, @¤$:~,.,,,
.-~:^@¤### ###¤@^:~-.
,-~=§¤&#@# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #@#&¤§=~-,
,¨¨.¨,^=^# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #^=^,¨.¨¨,
.,»;^%£### ###£%^;»,.
...,.,,\&¤ ¤&\,,.,...
.-~^%@#@## ##@#@%^~-.
,,~:*¤#@## ##@#¤*:~,,
,¨.~==¤$£& &£$¤==~.¨,