,,.-*§*&¶# #¶&*§*-.,,
,.-*§*&¶## ##¶&*§*-.,
,,.-*§*&¶# #¶&*§*-.,,
,,,.-*§*&¶ ¶&*§*-.,,,
,,.-*§*&¶# #¶&*§*-.,,
,.-*§*&¶## # -------------------- # ##¶&*§*-.,
,,.-*§*&¶# * 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. ###¤£*\«^,
¨.^-=§%£¶# #¶£%§=-^.¨
,.,^«:*£££ £££*:«^,.,
,.,~\%££@# #@££%\~,.,
,~»:%*&£## ##£&*%:»~,
,.~»/*§§## ##§§*/»~.,