,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,-
~-,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,-~
\~-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-~\
†\~-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-~\†
§†\~-,,,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,,,-~\†§
¤§†\~-,,,, \ 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. ,,,.¨...,,
,.,.¨¨¨¨,. .,¨¨¨¨.,.,
¨¨,,¨.¨.¨, ,¨.¨.¨,,¨¨
,.,..¨.,., ,.,.¨..,.,
¨.¨,¨,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,¨,¨.¨
,¨.¨..,¨¨. .¨¨,..¨.¨,