@¤@†*=-... ...-=*†@¤@
#@¤@†*=-.. ..-=*†@¤@#
##@¤@†*=-. .-=*†@¤@##
#@¤@†*=-.. ..-=*†@¤@#
@¤@†*=-... ...-=*†@¤@
¤@†*=-.... # ==================== # ....-=*†@¤
@†*=-..... * 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. .¨,.,~**£§
@@&^\=:.,, ,,.:=\^&@@
###**†=,¨¨ ¨¨,=†**###
##@@%†;=~¨ ¨~=;†%@@##
#@#%*;~^., ,.^~;*%#@#
@§¤*/»^,,. .,,^»/*¤§@