........-= =-........
.......-=% %=-.......
......-=%# #%=-......
.....-=%#¶ ¶#%=-.....
....-=%#¶# #¶#%=-....
...-=%#¶## # -------------------- # ##¶#%=-...
..-=%#¶### = 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. -:.¨,¨.,.,
....¨,,,=/ /=,,,¨....
,....¨~~=¤ ¤=~~¨....,
,..¨.^-\§& &§\-^.¨..,
.,..,~\&@@ @@&\~,..,.
,..,«:$¤## ##¤$:«,..,