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