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