¨¨¨¨,~~=*@ @*=~~,¨¨¨¨
¨,~=*$@@## ##@@$*=~,¨
¨,~~==$$@@ @@$$==~~,¨
¨,~=*$$$@@ @@$$$*=~,¨
¨,~=*$@@## ##@@$*=~,¨
¨¨¨~==*$@@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @@$*==~¨¨¨
¨,~=*$@@## = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = ##@@$*=~,¨
¨,~=*@@### = 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. #@@$=%:=.¨
.,=†%&@#@¶ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¶@#@&%†=,.
,.===%¤@## ##@¤%===.,
.¨,-,*&#££ ££#&*,-,¨.
¨.«=*%§##@ @##§%*=«.¨
¨,=;$&@@## ##@@&$;=,¨
.--\**£### ###£**\--.