¨,=\*£@¶## ##¶@£*\=,¨
¨¨,=\*£@¶# #¶@£*\=,¨¨
¨,=\*£@¶## ##¶@£*\=,¨
¨¨,=\*£@¶# #¶@£*\=,¨¨
¨,=\*£@¶## ##¶@£*\=,¨
¨¨,=\*£@¶# # ==================== # #¶@£*\=,¨¨
¨,=\*£@¶## \ 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. ##@£$%;«-¨
,.,»;§£@## NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ##@£§;»,.,
¨:»\*§&¶## ##¶&§*\»:¨
,,~~;$&#£# #£#&$;~~,,
¨~-*=£§£## ##£§£=*-~¨
,¨.~\*§§@# #@§§*\~.¨,
¨:==§$#£## ##£#$§==:¨