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