,,,,,,^-:^ ^:-^,,,,,,
,,,,,^-:^$ $^:-^,,,,,
,,,,^-:^$@ @$^:-^,,,,
,,,^-:^$@# #@$^:-^,,,
,,^-:^$@## ##@$^:-^,,
,^-:^$@### # -------------------- # ###@$^:-^,
,,^-:^$@## : 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. ..¨.,,.¨..
¨¨.,,,,.,¨ ¨,.,,,,.¨¨
.¨,,¨.¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.¨,,¨.
¨..,,¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨,,..¨
,¨¨.¨.,.,. .,.,.¨.¨¨,
¨,,,¨¨¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨¨¨,,,¨