#&@†;-.,,, ,,,.-;†@&#
&@†;-.,,,, ,,,,.-;†@&
@†;-.,,,,, ,,,,,.-;†@
†;-.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.-;†
;-.,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,.-;
-.,,,,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,,,,.-
.,,,,,,,,, ; 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. ,¨~~;*£&##
###@$$*»:, ,:»*$$@###
#@£&$†-,¨¨ ¨¨,-†$&£@#
#@%*/~,,,, ,,,,~/*%@#
#$%;=:..,¨ ¨,..:=;%$#
%%*~-..¨,, ,,¨..-~*%%