,,,,==%¤## ##¤%==,,,,
,,=:%%%%## ##%%%%:=,,
,,,,,,,=%# #%=,,,,,,,
,,=:%¤#@## ##@#¤%:=,,
,,=:%¤#### ####¤%:=,,
,,,,,=::%# # ==================== # #%::=,,,,,
,,=:%¤#@## : 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. ##¶¤&§\~-¨
,,»^*$&%¤@ @¤%&$*^»,,
¨--:%£@£## ##£@£%:--¨
..-\%@#£## ##£#@%\-..
.,-$%#@### ###@#%$-,.
..~\^$£@## ##@£$^\~..