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