,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^» »^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^»† †»^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^»†§ §†»^,,,,,,
,,,,,^»†§$ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # $§†»^,,,,,
,,,,^»†§$# † 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. ~,,¨.,.¨.,
¨.,.¨,.¨,. .,¨.,¨.,.¨
..¨.¨.,.¨, ,¨.,.¨.¨..
¨,¨..,.¨.¨ ¨.¨.,..¨,¨
.¨¨¨,,.¨., ,.¨.,,¨¨¨.
¨.¨,.,¨,¨. .¨,¨,.,¨.¨