#@#¤§=;«:, ,:«;=§¤#@#
¤=;:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:;=¤
¤=;:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:;=¤
#§;«,,,,,, ,,,,,,«;§#
#§====;«:, ,:«;====§#
#¤§;;;:,,, # «««««««««««««««««««« # ,,,:;;;§¤#
¤§§=;:,,,, ; 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. ,~~«†=§§@@
£$;:,,..¨, NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,¨..,,:;$£
£§$*£^*-., ,.-*^£*$§£
§£$~»-,... ...,-»~$£§
#@£@&**~:¨ ¨:~**&@£@#
#@@§§%=»~, ,~»=%§§@@#
####¤%^=-, ,-=^%¤####