##**=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=**##
###**=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=**###
####**=^¨¨ ¨¨^=**####
#####**=^¨ ¨^=**#####
####**=^¨¨ ¨¨^=**####
###**=^¨¨¨ # ==================== # ¨¨¨^=**###
##**=^¨¨¨¨ † 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. .-==%#@@##
#@@¤¤^«~.. ..~«^¤¤@@#
##£¤*»^,.¨ ¨.,^»*¤£##
¶@@%=-..¨, ,¨..-=%@@¶
¤%*-,..¨., ,.¨..,-*%¤
*%~~,,.,,. .,,.,,~~%*