,,,:»/^%#¶ ¶#%^/»:,,,
,,,,:»/^%# #%^/»:,,,,
,,,,,:»/^% %^/»:,,,,,
,,,,,,:»/^ ^/»:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:»/ /»:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:»/^ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ^/»:,,,,,,
,,,,,:»/^% / 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. ###£&*;»:.
.,,«\*$££# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #££$*\«,,.
,.¨.»^*&£# #£&*^».¨.,
.¨¨,^-;§£@ @£§;-^,¨¨.
.¨,..,~;*% %*;~,..,¨.
,,,.,,^»\% %\»^,,.,,,
.¨,.,,¨.=* *=.¨,,.,¨.