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