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