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