#&%*†-,,,, ,,,,-†*%&#
##&%*†-,,, ,,,-†*%&##
###&%*†-,, ,,-†*%&###
##&%*†-,,, ,,,-†*%&##
#&%*†-,,,, ,,,,-†*%&#
&%*†-,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,-†*%&
%*†-,,,,,, † 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. .,¨¨,.¨.,.
¨¨¨..¨,¨.¨ ¨.¨,¨..¨¨¨
¨¨,,,¨¨,., ,.,¨¨,,,¨¨
,¨.,¨.¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨.¨,.¨,
«~,,¨,,..¨ ¨..,,¨,,~«
:».¨,.,,¨¨ ¨¨,,.,¨.»: