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