##@§%*/-^. .^-/*%§@##
##@§%*/-^. .^-/*%§@##
##@§%*/-^. .^-/*%§@##
§**//-.... ....-//**§
§§***//-^. .^-//***§§
@§%%%*/-^. # -------------------- # .^-/*%%%§@
§**/^..... / 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. ,¨¨.,-=%§§
¤$$$/»,¨.¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨.¨,»/$$$¤
#@#§@†*-,. .,-*†@§#@#
§@$†=^,,.¨ ¨.,,^=†$@§
#@@£@%;~~. .~~;%@£@@#
£@%==«-,,¨ ¨,,-«==%@£
£&§%%»¨.,, ,,.¨»%%§&£