,,,,:-\^@@ @@^\-:,,,,
,,,,,:-\^@ @^\-:,,,,,
,,,,,,:-\^ ^\-:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:-\ \-:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:- -:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: # -------------------- # :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, \ 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$¤EXACTLY&#HOW¤THEY£HAD¤TRAVELED,%# =»,.,,.,.¨
.,¨.,,..-» #&OF@THE@WAY@HOME£@TO@THE#TIME#FROM#@ »-..,,.¨,.
¨,,¨,¨¨.,, ##WHERE#THEY#CAME,##@####AND#THEN@### ,,.¨¨,¨,,¨
,,¨,,..¨.. #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE=« ..¨..,,¨,,
,¨,,,¨¨¨.. --BEING - STOLEN =« FROM ~»= THEM. ¨ ..¨¨¨,,,¨,
..¨¨..,.., -« , =~~ ¨ =, ~~ « ,..,..¨¨..
¨,¨,¨¨¨,¨, , .- , . ,¨,¨¨¨,¨,¨
¨,,,..¨¨,¨ . ¨ ¨ = ¨,¨¨..,,,¨
,..,.¨..,. .,..¨.,..,
¨¨,,¨¨¨¨,, ¨#¨ ,,¨¨¨¨,,¨¨
¨¨..,,..¨, ,¨..,,..¨¨
.¨¨¨.¨,.,¨ AND, ¨,.,¨.¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨.,.,¨, ,¨,.,.¨¨¨¨
,¨,,¨,,..« NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. «..,,¨,,¨,
.¨.,.,¨,=^ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ^=,¨,.,.¨.
¨,¨¨,,:»†= =†»:,,¨¨,¨
,¨,.,,=†^§ §^†=,,.,¨,
¨¨¨¨,~/†$¤ ¤$†/~,¨¨¨¨
,,..«:%§£# #£§%:«..,,
.¨~=\^§#£@ @£#§^\=~¨.