,,,,,,,,,- -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-= =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=^ ^=-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-=^% %^=-,,,,,,
,,,,,-=^%§ §%^=-,,,,,
,,,,-=^%§@ # ==================== # @§%^=-,,,,
,,,-=^%§@# ^ 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##@# $^«^,.¨.¨,
..¨.,.,~«= #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS=KNOWLEDGE/» =«~,.,.¨..
,,...¨..-« ~=BEING - STOLEN «» FROM -~» THEM. ¨ «-..¨...,,
¨¨¨¨.¨,,¨~ ~= ¨ «=- ¨ -. := ~ ~¨,,¨.¨¨¨¨
..,¨.¨,,., , ., , ¨ ,.,,¨.¨,..
..¨¨...,¨. . ¨ . * .¨,...¨¨..
.,,,¨,.¨.¨ ¨.¨.,¨,,,.
¨¨,¨..,¨¨, .#. ,¨¨,..¨,¨¨
.¨¨¨¨.,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,.¨¨¨¨.
...¨..¨¨¨^ AND, ^¨¨¨..¨...
,,....¨¨-= =-¨¨....,,
,,,,,,.,-^ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ^-,.,,,,,,
¨¨¨¨..,~^^ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ^^~,..¨¨¨¨
¨¨.¨.-=:$% %$:=-.¨.¨¨
.,.,~=^%$# #$%^=~,.,.
.,,:=;$%@# #@%$;=:,,.
.¨.»^%£¶## ##¶£%^».¨.
.,~==§£### ###£§==~,.