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