¨-~\$%@@@@ @@@@%$\~-¨
¨-~\$%@@@# #@@@%$\~-¨
¨¨¨-~~\$$@ @$$\~~-¨¨¨
¨-~\$%@@## ##@@%$\~-¨
¨¨-~~\%%@@ @@%%\~~-¨¨
¨-~\$%@@@@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @@@@%$\~-¨
¨-~\$%@@@# \ 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. ¤%*~,,,¨¨¨
,,=:^$§#@# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #@#§$^:=,,
,^«=%£&@## ##@&£%=«^,
.^»†%$=#@# #@#=$%†»^.
¨,~:§§&#@# #@#&§§:~,¨
,.,,.~*%%# #%%*~.,,.,
.,»:§£¤£## ##£¤£§:»,.