¨¨¨.--*=$& &$=*--.¨¨¨
¨.-*=$&£## ##£&$=*-.¨
¨.-*=$&£## ##£&$=*-.¨
¨.-*=$&££# #££&$=*-.¨
¨.-*=$&£## ##£&$=*-.¨
¨.-*=$&£## # -------------------- # ##£&$=*-.¨
¨.-*=$&££# * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS * #££&$=*-.¨
¨.-*=$&£## * IN A STALE TIMELINE, * ##£&$=*-.¨
¨.-*=$&£## * BRANCHED WAY BACK * ##£&$=*-.¨
¨¨..--==&& * 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. ¨ #@@§£*†-,¨
,-==^%£¤## -» . -«- , »¨ ,~ ~ ##¤£%^==-,
,¨..¨:;£## : .. ^ , ##£;:¨..¨,
¨¨,,.»;/&@ , . . * @&/;».,,¨¨
.--/$%&#@# #@#&%$/--.
¨:»\=%§@## .#, ##@§%=\»:¨
,^»/*@@£&# #&£@@*/»^,
,~«:†$¤#@# AND, #@#¤$†:«~,
,,,=«*%§## ##§%*«=,,,
,,..-~$^£@ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. @£^$~-..,,
¨^~\†%§$*@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @*$§%†\~^¨
,~«/†¤££@# #@££¤†/«~,
¨..~.=^¤¤@ @¤¤^=.~..¨
¨,-*$¤§@@# #@@§¤$*-,¨
..=:*£&@## ##@&£*:=..
.,~^%$¤@## ##@¤$%^~,.