¨--:=*#@## ##@#*=:--¨
¨¨--:=*#@# #@#*=:--¨¨
¨¨¨--:=*#@ @#*=:--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--:=*# #*=:--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--:=* *=:--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--:=*# # -------------------- # #*=:--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--:=*#@ : 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. ¤$%;~:¨,¨¨
¨,,.-†§£#@ @#£§†-.,,¨
,,,~/%£&¶# #¶&£%/~,,,
,,»^§@§@@# #@@§@§^»,,
¨¨,-/*$@£# #£@$*/-,¨¨
.¨¨,~^%£&# #&£%^~,¨¨.