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