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