###@#=^~,¨ ¨,~^=#@###
##@#=^~,¨¨ ¨¨,~^=#@##
#@#=^~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~^=#@#
##@#=^~,¨¨ ¨¨,~^=#@##
###@#=^~,¨ ¨,~^=#@###
##@#=^~,¨¨ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¨¨,~^=#@##
#@#=^~,¨¨¨ ^ 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. .,:=/*&###
#£¤§=«:.,¨ ¨,.:«=§¤£#
###¤†;-,¨. .¨,-;†¤###
####&†\~., ,.~\†&####
#@@£*†~.¨. .¨.~†*£@@#
###*\~-,,. .,,-~\*###