¤†-^^^.... ....^^^-†¤
##@¤$†:-^. .^-:†$¤@##
#@@¤$†:-^. .^-:†$¤@@#
#@@¤$†:-^. .^-:†$¤@@#
¤$†-^..... .....^-†$¤
#@@¤$†:-^. # -------------------- # .^-:†$¤@@#
#@@¤$†:-^. : THE WOLF POOL EXISTS : .^-:†$¤@@#
#@@¤$†:-^. : IN A STALE TIMELINE, : .^-:†$¤@@#
@@@¤$†:-^. : BRANCHED WAY BACK : .^-:†$¤@@@
@@$:^^.... : WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR : ....^^:$@@
¤†:---.... : 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. ,..,^/*£@@
#@#¤$*/~~¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨~~/*$¤#@#
&*;-:,-,., ,.,-,:-;*&
###@#@%†-. .-†%@#@###
###@@%;=-, ,-=;%@@###
&*~~«.¨.,. .,.¨.«~~*&
####£$==», ,»==$£####