.......,-; ;-,.......
......,-;* *;-,......
.....,-;** **;-,.....
....,-;**¤ ¤**;-,....
...,-;**¤@ @¤**;-,...
..,-;**¤@# # -------------------- # #@¤**;-,..
.,-;**¤@## ; 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. ».,.....¨¨
,¨,,.¨.-«* *«-.¨.,,¨,
.¨¨¨,,~«†† ††«~,,¨¨¨.
.¨¨¨,~=:%* *%:=~,¨¨¨.
,...,»^$%& &%$^»,...,
,,,.»:%$§# #§$%:».,,,