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