..~=/†§&@@ @@&§†/=~..
.~=/†§&@@# #@@&§†/=~.
..~=/†§&@@ @@&§†/=~..
...~=/†§&@ @&§†/=~...
....~=/†§& &§†/=~....
.....~=/†§ # ==================== # §†/=~.....
......~=/† / 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. &^^=,,.¨¨¨
.,,,,¨,~*$ $*~,¨,,,,.
¨..,¨,¨,~; ;~,¨,¨,..¨
,,..¨...-» »-...¨..,,
¨.,,.¨,,,, ,,,,¨.,,.¨
..,¨,.,¨.« «.¨,.,¨,..