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