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