,,-»=$§### ###§$=»-,,
,,,-»=$§## ##§$=»-,,,
,,,,-»=$§# #§$=»-,,,,
,,,,,-»=$§ §$=»-,,,,,
,,,,-»=$§# #§$=»-,,,,
,,,-»=$§## # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ##§$=»-,,,
,,-»=$§### = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = ###§$=»-,,
,-»=$§#### = IN A STALE TIMELINE, = ####§$=»-,
,,-»=$§### = BRANCHED WAY BACK = ###§$=»-,,
,,,-»=$§## = WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR = ##§$=»-,,,
,,,,-»=$§# = WAS ALMOST BARREN, = #§$=»-,,,,
,,,,,-»=$§ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, §$=»-,,,,,
,,,,-»=$§# AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, #§$=»-,,,,
,,,-»=$§## = AT ALL... = ##§$=»-,,,
,,-»=$§### # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###§$=»-,,
¨.=*%%@@## ##@@%%*=.¨
,,,-\§*¤## 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. #§$§/».¨..
.¨,~/%$££# #££$%/~,¨.
,,~:^@#£## ##£#@^:~,,
¨¨^-:^*##@ @##*^:-^¨¨
.,¨~=/%¤&¶ ¶&¤%/=~¨,.
,¨,¨:«^*¤§ §¤*^«:¨,¨,