,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-= =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=* *=-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-=*¤ ¤*=-,,,,,,
,,,,,-=*¤# # -------------------- # #¤*=-,,,,,
,,,,-=*¤#¶ = 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. ~:.¨,.¨,,¨
..,¨¨¨¨,.- -.,¨¨¨¨,..
¨¨,,.¨¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨¨.,,¨¨
¨..,.¨¨.¨- -¨.¨¨.,..¨
,.¨,,¨,,,~ ~,,,¨,,¨.,
..¨,,..:»\ \»:..,,¨..