¨.-\***#@# #@#***\-.¨
¨.-\**#@@@ @@@#**\-.¨
¨.-\***#@# #@#***\-.¨
¨.-\**#@@@ @@@#**\-.¨
¨¨¨..\**## ##**\..¨¨¨
¨.-\*#@### # -------------------- # ###@#*\-.¨
¨.-\**#@## \ 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. #£@&%*:~-.
¨,~^%$§&§£ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. £§&§$%^~,¨
,,¨.,,.^§& &§^.,,.¨,,
,.~-:\†%@# #@%†\:-~.,
,.,¨,:/$$£ £$$/:,¨,.,
.,,¨,¨,~§£ £§~,¨,¨,,.
¨¨¨¨¨¨~:%# #%:~¨¨¨¨¨¨