*§/=-..... .....-=/§*
#*§/=-.... ....-=/§*#
@#*§/=-... ...-=/§*#@
#@#*§/=-.. ..-=/§*#@#
##@#*§/=-. .-=/§*#@##
#@#*§/=-.. # ==================== # ..-=/§*#@#
@#*§/=-... / 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$FLARING^ .¨.,,.¨,,~
=~:,.¨,¨., §**BRIGHT%-*%A¤SUDDEN@&AWARENESS# ,.¨,¨.,:~=
§=~,¨,,,¨. #*OF%@EXACTLY£#HOW¤THEY&HAD#TRAVELED,§# .¨,,,¨,~=§
*^/»,,,..¨ #@OF¤THE£WAY#HOME#@TO¶THE¶TIME@FROM£# ¨..,,,»/^*
¤%%=~,..¨¨ #@WHERE#THEY#CAME,#@####@AND#THEN@### ¨¨..,~=%%¤
¶&*^*~:,., #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE=« ,.,:~*^*&¶
##££†;-.¨, ~-BEING = STOLEN «~ FROM »«- THEM. , ,¨.-;†££##
##£@$%^~., «« , »=« . -. -- » ,.~^%$@£##
#£&£§;»^.. ~ -: : . ..^»;§£&£#
@#£§^»~¨¨. ¨ ¨ . * .¨¨~»^§£#@
§§=;~,.¨.. ..¨.,~;=§§
@†*«,¨,... .#, ...,¨,«*†@
^^»,¨¨..¨, ,¨..¨¨,»^^
;»,¨.¨¨.¨, AND, ,¨.¨¨.¨,»;
«:,¨.,¨.,. .,.¨,.¨,:«
;»:..¨..,. NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. .,..¨..:»;
=*=.¨.¨,., NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,.,¨.¨.=*=
%%†~.¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨.~†%%
#$§†-.,¨,¨ ¨,¨,.-†§$#
£¤£$\«-¨¨, ,¨¨-«\$£¤£
#¶@@*†=-¨. .¨-=†*@@¶#
##£§$=:=-¨ ¨-=:=$§£##