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