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