,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, † 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. †~:,..¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨.,,,,~ ~,,,,.¨¨¨.
,.,¨,.¨¨,- -,¨¨.,¨,.,
¨,.¨,.¨,¨. .¨,¨.,¨.,¨
,.,¨¨,¨,., ,.,¨,¨¨,.,
,.¨.¨.,¨¨. .¨¨,.¨.¨.,