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