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