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