,,,.==*¤§@ @§¤*==.,,,
,,.==*¤§@# #@§¤*==.,,
,.==*¤§@## ##@§¤*==.,
,,.==*¤§@# #@§¤*==.,,
,,,.==*¤§@ @§¤*==.,,,
,,,,.==*¤§ # ==================== # §¤*==.,,,,
,,,,,.==*¤ = 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. ...¨¨.,¨¨¨
.,...¨...¨ ¨...¨...,.
,.¨.,¨,.,. .,.,¨,.¨.,
.¨¨.,,¨,.- -.,¨,,.¨¨.
¨,.,,¨¨¨~» »~¨¨¨,,.,¨
,¨....¨:~; ;~:¨....¨,