,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=\ \=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=\* *\=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=\*% %*\=,,,,,,
,,,,,=\*%# # ==================== # #%*\=,,,,,
,,,,=\*%#@ \ 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. .¨.,,,..¨,
,.,.,,..,, ,,..,,.,.,
.¨,.,,¨,.. ..,¨,,.,¨.
,.¨¨.,.¨¨^ ^¨¨.,.¨¨.,
.¨,,,,¨..- -..¨,,,,¨.
,.¨¨.,,~~/ /~~,,.¨¨.,