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