...^-;*&## ##&*;-^...
..^-;*&### ###&*;-^..
.^-;*&#### ####&*;-^.
..^-;*&### ###&*;-^..
...^-;*&## ##&*;-^...
....^-;*&# # -------------------- # #&*;-^....
.....^-;*& ; 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. ††~:.¨.,,.
.,..,,=;=§ §=;=,,..,.
.¨.¨-»^§¤@ @¤§^»-¨.¨.
.,¨,~:†&@# #@&†:~,¨,.
.,,~;§££## ##££§;~,,.
¨:«;†§@@## ##@@§†;«:¨