,,,,,,,,,» »,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,»: :»,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»:§ §:»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»:§* *§:»,,,,,,
,,,,,»:§*¤ ¤*§:»,,,,,
,,,,»:§*¤@ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # @¤*§:»,,,,
,,,»:§*¤@# : 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. ,¨..¨,,¨¨.
..¨,.,¨.,. .,.¨,.,¨..
,,¨.¨,.,,, ,,,.,¨.¨,,
.,.,.,¨¨., ,.¨¨,.,.,.
¨¨,.,.,..¨ ¨..,.,.,¨¨
.,.¨,¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨,¨.,.