##§*:~,... ...,~:*§##
#§*:~,.... ....,~:*§#
§*:~,..... .....,~:*§
*:~,...... ......,~:*
:~,....... .......,~:
~,........ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ........,~
:~,....... : 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. .,.»:†£¶@#
@#%%/«^.,, ,,.^«/%%#@
@*^^=~,.., ,..,~=^^*@
§%:-..¨¨., ,.¨¨..-:%§
*\«-,,.,¨¨ ¨¨,.,,-«\*
*»-,,¨,,., ,.,,¨,,-»*