,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,-
--,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,--
\--,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,--\
*\--,,,,,, ,,,,,,--\*
%*\--,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,--\*%
§%*\--,,,, \ 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. ,,,,,,,¨.,
¨¨.,¨,,¨¨, ,¨¨,,¨,.¨¨
.,¨¨,.,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,.,¨¨,.
...,,,.,,. .,,.,,,...
.,.,¨¨¨.,. .,.¨¨¨,.,.
¨.,,.¨¨,¨. .¨,¨¨.,,.¨