¨¨,»^$¤@## ##@¤$^»,¨¨
¨,»^$¤@### ###@¤$^»,¨
¨¨,»^$¤@## ##@¤$^»,¨¨
¨¨¨,»^$¤@# #@¤$^»,¨¨¨
¨¨,»^$¤@## ##@¤$^»,¨¨
¨,»^$¤@### # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###@¤$^»,¨
¨¨,»^$¤@## ^ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ^ ##@¤$^»,¨¨
¨¨¨,»^$¤@# ^ IN A STALE TIMELINE, ^ #@¤$^»,¨¨¨
¨¨,»^$¤@## ^ BRANCHED WAY BACK ^ ##@¤$^»,¨¨
¨,»^$¤@### ^ WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR ^ ###@¤$^»,¨
¨¨,»^$¤@## ^ WAS ALMOST BARREN, ^ ##@¤$^»,¨¨
¨¨¨,»^$¤@# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, #@¤$^»,¨¨¨
¨¨,»^$¤@## AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, ##@¤$^»,¨¨
¨,»^$¤@### ^ AT ALL... ^ ###@¤$^»,¨
¨¨,»^$¤@## # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ##@¤$^»,¨¨
¨...»:%§## ##§%:»...¨
,¨,«†*@¶## 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. ##@@@^;-~¨
,,^~:%££## ##££%:~^,,
¨.¨^-/^#£# #£#^/-^¨.¨
¨¨~-/%&### ###&%/-~¨¨
,.«\§&#@## ##@#&§\«.,
,,,«*†£@## ##@£†*«,,,