.@.@@@.... .@@@.@..@.
...@.@@... .@.@..@..@
@....@@@.. ....@..@..
.@...@.@@. @....@..@.
..@....@@@ @@....@..@
@..@...@.@ # ==================== # @@@....@..
.@..@....@ = 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. .¨#¤@¨¨.,&
@.¨@¨¨§,., ,¨§¨#@¨.,¨
.£¨,&.¨#.. ¨..,##§¨,¨
,,&,¨§..&¨ ¨.¨¨§,§&¨,
¨.,¤.¨¤..& ,.¨¨.¨&#@.
¨.,.£,,#,. ,,¨.,.#.#&