*^;~,..... .....,~;^*
^;~,...... ......,~;^
;~,....... .......,~;
~,........ ........,~
,......... .........,
~,........ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ........,~
;~,....... ; 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. .¨¨...¨¨--
\--.¨,.,,. .,,.,¨.--\
§;=:,....¨ ¨....,:=;§
$**~.,.¨¨. .¨¨.,.~**$
@$%*=~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~=*%$@
#§£††=,.¨. .¨.,=††£§#