.....~*%&& &&%*~.....
....-*%&&& &&&%*-....
.-~**%&¶## ##¶&%**~-.
....-**%&¶ ¶&%**-....
.-~**%&¶## ##¶&%**~-.
.-~**%&¶## # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ##¶&%**~-.
.-~**%&¶## * 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. #@£&&%:»,¨
,,,,~\$§¤# #¤§$\~,,,,
¨,.,.::$&& &&$::.,.,¨
,~~*§£§@@# #@@§£§*~~,
,.-:†&&£@# #@£&&†:-.,
¨..,¨.»**£ £**».¨,..¨