,,,,^=\†$# #$†\=^,,,,
,,,^=\†$## ##$†\=^,,,
,,^=\†$### ###$†\=^,,
,^=\†$#### ####$†\=^,
,,^=\†$### ###$†\=^,,
,,,^=\†$## # ==================== # ##$†\=^,,,
,,,,^=\†$# \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \ #$†\=^,,,,
,,,,,^=\†$ \ 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. #@$†*~:¨,.
¨,¨¨^-;%$# #$%;-^¨¨,¨
...¨,.«^*$ $*^«.,¨...
,.¨..,.=;* *;=.,..¨.,
¨¨¨,...^~\ \~^...,¨¨¨
,,.,.¨¨.:~ ~:.¨¨.,.,,