........## ..........
#######..# ##########
######.... ##########
#####..### .#########
####....## ..########
###..##..# # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ...#######
##........ = 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. §£##£@&@#¤
§§£££@#& £§¤§&&@@&&
£¤#&@¤£&§¤ §§§££¤§&¤#
¤£&¤¤@§#£¤ @§£§#¤#£&§
@#&£@@&£@# ¤§@@£§#£
@#§££££¤&£ @¤#&£@£@£&