.-«\=*§@## ##@§*=\«-.
.....«\=*§ §*=\«.....
.-«\=*§@## ##@§*=\«-.
.-«\\\**@# #@**\\\«-.
.-«\===§§@ @§§===\«-.
.-«\=*§@## # «««««««««««««««««««« # ##@§*=\«-.
...«\=*§§@ \ 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. . ££&§£$;=~,
¨.»^%%*££§ == . »-» ¨ ~¨ :~ = §££*%%^».¨
.--\*$¤@## - ., - . ##@¤$*\--.
¨,»\%@£¶@# . ¨ . * #@¶£@%\»,¨
.-«:%@#### ####@%:«-.
,:«/†@&£@# ¨#. #@£&@†/«:,
¨:«;=%§£## ##£§%=;«:¨
,¨.,==**## AND, ##**==,.¨,
..¨:«**£#¶ ¶#£**«:¨..
,-«=^*#@## NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ##@#*^=«-,
¨,.--~~=§& NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. &§=~~--.,¨
..=:*$¤@## ##@¤$*:=..
,~-*=&#£@# #@£#&=*-~,
¨^=:%§§¶## ##¶§§%:=^¨
..~-=;§%¤¤ ¤¤%§;=-~..
.:«;^@#£## ##£#@^;«:.