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