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