...=^^&¤## ##¤&^^=...
..=^^&¤### ###¤&^^=..
...=^^&¤## ##¤&^^=...
....=^^&¤# #¤&^^=....
.....=^^&¤ ¤&^^=.....
......=^^& # ==================== # &^^=......
.......=^^ ^ 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. ~¨¨.,,.,,.
¨,,,...,,, ,,,...,,,¨
,.¨.,,,¨., ,.¨,,,.¨.,
¨.,,¨..¨,¨ ¨,¨..¨,,.¨
,,,¨,¨.... ....¨,¨,,,
,¨,¨¨..,-= =-,..¨¨,¨,