&%%;=:.... ....:=;%%&
%%;=:..... .....:=;%%
%;=:...... ......:=;%
%%;=:..... .....:=;%%
&%%;=:.... ....:=;%%&
¶&%%;=:... # ==================== # ...:=;%%&¶
#¶&%%;=:.. ; 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. ,,,--\*§@¶
&&%=-,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,-=%&&
£^==-,.¨¨, ,¨¨.,-==^£
=:~~,.,.., ,..,.,~~:=
$†*=-,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,-=*†$
@§%^~,¨,¨. .¨,¨,~^%§@