...--/†&@# #@&†/--...
..--/†&@## ##@&†/--..
.--/†&@### ###@&†/--.
..--/†&@## ##@&†/--..
...--/†&@# #@&†/--...
....--/†&@ # -------------------- # @&†/--....
.....--/†& / 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. *†-..,.,.,
.,,¨¨^~=†& &†=~^¨¨,,.
,¨.¨.»;**£ £**;».¨.¨,
¨,.-==*£## ##£*==-.,¨
.¨~~:**§£@ @£§**:~~¨.
,-«:%%##@# #@##%%:«-,