@¤*^†«^,,, ,,,^«†^*¤@
#@¤*^†«^,, ,,^«†^*¤@#
##@¤*^†«^, ,^«†^*¤@##
#@¤*^†«^,, ,,^«†^*¤@#
@¤*^†«^,,, ,,,^«†^*¤@
¤*^†«^,,,, # «««««««««««««««««««« # ,,,,^«†^*¤
*^†«^,,,,, † 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. ¨.,,.¨-~**
$^\~,.,¨.¨ ¨.¨,.,~\^$
@£=†~.¨¨,. .,¨¨.~†=£@
#@*=/=^¨.¨ ¨.¨^=/=*@#
@#&§^:~,,. .,,~:^§&#@
#@#§*§^«~. .~«^§*§#@#