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