......,«;= =;«,......
.....,«;=$ $=;«,.....
....,«;=$# #$=;«,....
...,«;=$#£ £#$=;«,...
..,«;=$#£# #£#$=;«,..
.,«;=$#£## # «««««««««««««««««««« # ##£#$=;«,.
..,«;=$#£# ; 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. ,.¨,..¨.,.
,¨,,...¨-- --¨...,,¨,
,,.,¨.¨.~* *~.¨.¨,.,,
.¨¨,.,:=\^ ^\=:,.,¨¨.
,¨.,,:»*=& &=*»:,,.¨,
,.¨,.«;*%§ §%*;«.,¨.,