,,,,#,,##, ,,#,,,,,,,
###,,,,,,, #,,,######
##,,#####, ,,#,,#####
#,,,,###,, ,,,,,,####
,,##,,#,,, #####,,###
,,,,,,,,## # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ####,,,,#,
#######,,, † 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. §&&£§&£¤@§
¤#¤#@&£@§& ##§@&£@¤@¤
£&¤@§##£#£ &&§£§@#&£&
&@§§#§§§ ¤&@¤£¤¤#&§
£#§£#&£§¤£ £¤£#§§@££§
¤§&£#§¤@ &£@£@&@@§§