,,,~=†££## ##££†=~,,,
,~=†$£¤### ###¤£$†=~,
,~=†$£££¤# #¤£££$†=~,
,~=†$£¤### ###¤£$†=~,
,~=†$£¤### ###¤£$†=~,
,~=†$£¤### # ==================== # ###¤£$†=~,
,~=†$£¤### † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS † ###¤£$†=~,
,~=†$£¤¤¤# † IN A STALE TIMELINE, † #¤¤¤£$†=~,
,,,=†$$£¤# † BRANCHED WAY BACK † #¤£$$†=,,,
,~=†$£¤### † WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR † ###¤£$†=~,
,,,==††$¤¤ † WAS ALMOST BARREN, † ¤¤$††==,,,
,,,,,~††$¤ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¤$††~,,,,,
,,,,,=$££# AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, #££$=,,,,,
,~~==$££## † AT ALL... † ##££$==~~,
,,,,,,~†£¤ # ==================== # ¤£†~,,,,,,
¨--^$&§#@# #@#§&$^--¨
¨.-†%$@### MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE ###@$%†-.¨
¨¨¨,.-=*§¤ 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. @##§§%*-,,
,,,..,~;$# #$;~,..,,,
.:==:=*$#@ @#$*=:==:.
¨:~^%¤@### ###@¤%^~:¨
.^~:*$@@## ##@@$*:~^.
¨~-†*%@#@# #@#@%*†-~¨