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