¶@@@***=:. .:=***@@@¶
##¶@***=:. .:=***@¶##
@****:.... ....:****@
##¶@***=:. .:=***@¶##
#¶@@***=:. .:=***@@¶#
@**:::.... # ==================== # ....:::**@
##¶@***=:. * 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*-*$A*SUDDEN%*AWARENESS# .-~^§@&###
#@%*%~=,¨. #¤OF%@EXACTLY&@HOW¤THEY@HAD#TRAVELED,@# .¨,=~%*%@#
@#%†*«.,., #¤OF@THE#WAY@HOME¶@TO@THE#TIME#FROM£# ,.,.«*†%#@
#&#&&^†~:. ##WHERE@THEY#CAME,@#@##@@AND#THEN@#@# .:~†^&&#&#
¶§§==†=-,¨ #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS=KNOWLEDGE\« ¨,-=†==§§¶
@&^=†==~.¨ ~~BEING = STOLEN «~ FROM «»« THEM. , ¨.~==†=^&@
##@¤$%;«^. -» ¨ »»- ¨ ~¨ -~ = .^«;%$¤@##
###¶¤%=~~¨ . ~: ~ . ¨~~=%¤¶###
#@£§**:~^. , , ¨ * .^~:**§£@#
#@@§%††»:¨ ¨:»††%§@@#
#@£@£%\~,¨ .#, ¨,~\%£@£@#
¶#@#%*†-,. .,-†*%#@#¶
#@%~~:.¨,. AND, .,¨.:~~%@#
#@#&¤%\~^. .^~\%¤&#@#
##@@&*%=.¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨.=%*&@@##
@¶§*/;^.¨, NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,¨.^;/*§¶@
##£§@*:-,. .,-:*@§£##
@%\:~~~«:, ,:«~~~:\%@
&#$†:^,¨., ,.¨,^:†$#&
@@£^=\-,.. ..,-\=^£@@
##@£$%\-:, ,:-\%$£@##