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