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