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