,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
†-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-†
%†-:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:-†%
&%†-:,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,:-†%&
#&%†-:,,,, † 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, ¨..¨-=†§¤£
¶¤$*†«,.¨. .¨.,«†*$¤¶
#£#@$\=,.¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨.,=\$@#£#
#@@¤@†:»., NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,.»:†@¤@@#
#@&£$†»:.. ..:»†$£&@#
@§%$†»~.,¨ ¨,.~»†$%§@
#*%\~,,,¨, ,¨,,,~\%*#
£*^~,,,,.. ..,,,,~^*£
†;=:..¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨..:=;†