¨,=/%%#@## ##@#%%/=,¨
¨¨,=/%%#@# #@#%%/=,¨¨
¨,=/%%#@## ##@#%%/=,¨
¨¨,=/%%#@# #@#%%/=,¨¨
¨,=/%%#@## ##@#%%/=,¨
¨¨,=/%%#@# # ==================== # #@#%%/=,¨¨
¨,=/%%#@## / 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. ##£&†^~-,.
.,=†%§¤£## ##£¤§%†=,.
,¨^==*@££@ @££@*==^¨,
,~~\*§¤¶## ##¶¤§*\~~,
.,^«*%£§## ##§£%*«^,.
,~=^=£¤£## ##£¤£=^=~,