¨@¨¨¨¨@¨¨@ ¨@¨@¨¨¨@¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨@¨¨ ¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨@¨ @¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@
@¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨@ @@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨ @@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨@¨¨¨ # -------------------- # @¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨@¨¨ * 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. .,@.@£.,,,
¨£¨.,@.¨¨£ &..,#@£,,¨
.,&..¨#,.. .#.¨¤¨#§¨.
.,.@,¨.@¨, ,,&,¨¨&@£.
.,,.&,¨,¤, ,,,#.¨#.#£
£,,¨¨§...# ¨.,¨&.¨.&&