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