¨¨¨¨¨:~=*# #*=~:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~/=*§@## ##@§*=/~:¨
¨:~/=*§@## ##@§*=/~:¨
¨:~/=***#@ @#***=/~:¨
¨:~/=====§ §=====/~:¨
¨:~/=*§##@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @##§*=/~:¨
¨¨:~//**§@ / 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. ###¶&*\=-¨
,-«:§@¤@@# #@@¤@§:«-,
,:-^*\*&#@ @#&*\*^-:,
¨¨,¨-;==&# #&==;-¨,¨¨
.^~*%££### ###££%*~^.
,.¨.¨../@£ £@/..¨.¨.,