,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:= =:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:=† †=:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:=†$ # ==================== # $†=:,,,,,,
,,,,,:=†$$ † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS † $$†=:,,,,,
,,,,:=†$$@ † IN A STALE TIMELINE, † @$$†=:,,,,
,,,:=†$$@# † BRANCHED WAY BACK † #@$$†=:,,,
,,:=†$$@## † WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR † ##@$$†=:,,
,:=†$$@### † WAS ALMOST BARREN, † ###@$$†=:,
,,:=†$$@## COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ##@$$†=:,,
,,,:=†$$@# AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, #@$$†=:,,,
,,,,:=†$$@ † AT ALL... † @$$†=:,,,,
,,,,,:=†$$ # ==================== # $$†=:,,,,,
,¨¨.,¨^~\§ §\~^¨,.¨¨,
.¨.,...,«= 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. «^...,¨,,¨
¨,,,¨¨,.~: :~.,¨¨,,,¨
¨¨.¨¨¨:~\* *\~:¨¨¨.¨¨
,,.,.~~:%% %%:~~.,.,,
¨¨.,,«*†££ ££†*«,,.¨¨
,¨.~«\=*@# #@*=\«~.¨,