......~«†^ ^†«~......
.......~«† †«~.......
........~« «~........
.......~«† †«~.......
......~«†^ ^†«~......
.....~«†^% # «««««««««««««««««««« # %^†«~.....
....~«†^%§ † 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. $^;-^¨¨.,¨
.,¨¨,,~~== ==~~,,¨¨,.
,,,¨.,.^«\ \«^.,.¨,,,
..¨..¨¨,^~ ~^,¨¨..¨..
¨¨¨,,¨¨,~; ;~,¨¨,,¨¨¨
,¨¨...^»^% %^»^...¨¨,