##@@@§%†-. .-†%§@@@##
#@@@§%†-.. ..-†%§@@@#
@@@§%†-... ...-†%§@@@
#@@@§%†-.. ..-†%§@@@#
##@@@§%†-. .-†%§@@@##
#@@@§%†-.. # -------------------- # ..-†%§@@@#
@@@§%†-... † 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. ¨¨=/=%§#@#
#£@&*;».¨, ,¨.»;*&@£#
###@*†==,, ,,==†*@###
###££%*/~. .~/*%££###
##¶£@$=~¨. .¨~=$@£¶##
@#§%$*~.,. .,.~*$%§#@