.-»/%$##@# #@##$%/»-.
..-»/%$##@ @##$%/»-..
.-»/%$##@# #@##$%/»-.
..-»/%$##@ @##$%/»-..
.-»/%$##@# #@##$%/»-.
..-»/%$##@ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # @##$%/»-..
.-»/%$##@# / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS / #@##$%/»-.
..-»/%$##@ / IN A STALE TIMELINE, / @##$%/»-..
.-»/%$##@# / BRANCHED WAY BACK / #@##$%/»-.
..-»/%$##@ / WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR / @##$%/»-..
.-»/%$##@# / WAS ALMOST BARREN, / #@##$%/»-.
..-»/%$##@ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, @##$%/»-..
.-»/%$##@# AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, #@##$%/»-.
..-»/%$##@ / AT ALL... / @##$%/»-..
.-»/%$##@# # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # #@##$%/»-.
.¨-»:$%&£@ @£&%$:»-¨.
,,»^%§&### 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. ¨ #£#&=/~.¨.
.,=†$&§@## «~ , ==~ ¨ -, ,- ~ ##@§&$†=,.
,.~~\$££¶@ ^ ^: : ¨ @¶££$\~~.,
,,«;$£@### , . ¨ $ ###@£$;«,,
.,-~;*§#@# #@#§*;~-,.
¨-~\†$§£## ¨#. ##£§$†\~-¨
,¨--^*¤¤£# #£¤¤*^--¨,
..=\*£§@@# AND, #@@§£*\=..
,¨,=*%%@@# #@@%%*=,¨,
,^==†*@¶@# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #@¶@*†==^,
..--:^¤¤## NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ##¤¤^:--..
,:~=%%§@## ##@§%%=~:,
¨.,~;*$&£@ @£&$*;~,.¨
.-~*=%@@## ##@@%=*~-.
,.-«*$£§¶@ @¶§£$*«-.,
,-~:%@£#@# #@#£@%:~-,