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