########.. .......###
#######... .#####..##
######..## ..###....#
#####....# ...#..##..
.###..##.. ##........
..#......# # ==================== # ...#######
....####.. : 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&@EXACTLYHOW§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. &£&£§¤¤#@&
#@#@§§@£#& #§&¤£@§£§£
#§§£#&£&§¤ #££&£&§@@&
§#&¤§@£#§@ ¤@¤#¤#£¤¤&
¤£@££@#¤&@ @@@#&¤£¤@#
§¤§£#@&&£# §¤@§&&§@&@