,,,,:»**$# #$**»:,,,,
,,,:»**$## ##$**»:,,,
,,:»**$##@ @##$**»:,,
,:»**$##@# #@##$**»:,
,,:»**$##@ @##$**»:,,
,,,:»**$## # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ##$**»:,,,
,,,,:»**$# * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS * #$**»:,,,,
,,,,,:»**$ * 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 #£*$†«^..,
,.^»†*£&#@ LIQUID FLOWS INTO HIS MIND. THE OTHERS, @#&£*†»^.,
.^~\^*¤@## = NOT UNDERSTANDING THE~DANGER, MOVE ##@¤*^\~^.
.¨:-\^%&#@ CLOSER TO HELP THEIR¨FRIEND. @#&%^\-:¨.
,,¨~»*%§£@ ¨ « - ~ . @£§%*»~¨,,
¨,.,.«=^¤¤ AND,THEN,THE.POOL.ANNOUNCES.ITSELF ¤¤^=«.,.,¨
,.¨¨,~»/%¤ TO.THEM¨-,SUDDEN..,THOUGHTS,OF. ¤%/»~,¨¨.,
,,..,,-~;^ .,~DARK«WOLVES~¨CLIMBING,OUT-OF~::- ^;~-,,..,,
,¨...,,-~: ~~~THE»POOL,-SURROUNDING;THEM^-†:; :~-,,...¨,
¨¨¨,¨.¨,,» :SUDDEN*THOUGHTS=OF=«;CLIMBING:^% »,,¨.¨,¨¨¨
,.¨¨¨¨,:~= INTO%THE;POOL,§THEIR§THIRST%FLARING§ =~:,¨¨¨¨.,
.,..¨¨,«/* %*=BRIGHT^-=&A£SUDDEN*%AWARENESS# */«,¨¨..,.
,,.¨.--*†@ #%OF£#EXACTLY§#HOW#THEY§HAD¤TRAVELED,¤# @†*--.¨.,,
¨,¨¨.«/%@§ #¤OF&THE@WAY@HOME##TO#THE¶TIME@FROM#£ §@%/«.¨¨,¨
,..,»:%%§@ #¶WHERE#THEY@CAME,@####@@AND@THEN#### @§%%:»,..,
¨.-«†^£#¶@ #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE=- @¶#£^†«-.¨
.:»*^££¶## =»BEING « STOLEN ~~ FROM ~~= THEM. , ##¶££^*»:.
..-~;†£@## «« . -== , ~, ^~ ~ ##@£†;~-..
,,..»:=£@# ~ -~ : , #@£=:»..,,
.,,.~»/%@¤ ¨ , , ^ ¤@%/»~.,,.
.¨¨,,,=**$ $**=,,,¨¨.
¨,,,¨,:-/= ,#¨ =/-:,¨,,,¨
¨,.,.¨¨.-† †-.¨¨.,.,¨
,,¨,¨.,..» AND, »..,.¨,¨,,
,.¨¨¨¨.^-* *-^.¨¨¨¨.,
,..¨,.,«=^ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ^=«,.,¨..,
¨¨,,¨^~^†§ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. §†^~^¨,,¨¨
,,¨.--†*§¤ ¤§*†--.¨,,
,,.,-;*%¤@ @¤%*;-,.,,
¨.,«^=££@@ @@££=^«,.¨
,^-;§$¤£@# #@£¤$§;-^,
.,^-:$£@¶@ @¶@£$:-^,.