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