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