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