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