†-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-†
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
†-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-†
*†-:,,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,,:-†*
¤*†-:,,,,, † 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,§# ¨..¨~=**@¤
@¤$$\-^,¨. #£OF§THE@WAY¶HOME@@TO£THE@TIME£FROM£¶ .¨,^-\$$¤@
@¶#**†«:,¨ ##WHERE@THEY@CAME,####@##AND@THEN#### ¨,:«†**#¶@
###§%†^«^¨ #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS=KNOWLEDGE*» ¨^«^†%§###
#¶¤£§†»^., »»BEING ~ STOLEN »» FROM =-~ THEM. ¨ ,.^»†§£¤¶#
#&&$†~,¨,, »= ¨ =«~ . -. ^= » ,,¨,~†$&&#
¤¤%^~,¨¨.¨ - .: , . ¨.¨¨,~^%¤¤
¤^\»,.¨.,, ¨ ¨ , $ ,,.¨.,»\^¤
†=-~.,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.~-=†
/~:¨,¨,,.¨ ¨#, ¨.,,¨,¨:~/
»,,.,.¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨.,.,,»
:..¨.,.,.¨ AND, ¨.,.,.¨..:
=:,..,.,.. ..,.,..,:=
*=~¨...¨,¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨,¨...¨~=*
†/«:,...., NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,....,:«/†
$$\~,¨¨..¨ ¨..¨¨,~\$$
£¤*;~~¨¨,. .,¨¨~~;*¤£
@&£%;»:¨.¨ ¨.¨:»;%£&@
#£§£%;~:.. ..:~;%£§£#
##£§£=†-:¨ ¨:-†=£§£##