##@#==-,.. ..,-==#@##
###@#==-,. .,-==#@###
##@#==-,.. ..,-==#@##
#@#==-,... ...,-==#@#
##@#==-,.. ..,-==#@##
###@#==-,. # -------------------- # .,-==#@###
##@#==-,.. = 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. ¨,-/†@£###
#@£@%/~,,, ,,,~/%@£@#
#@@†=~-¨,¨ ¨,¨-~=†@@#
#@£¤%/-,¨, ,¨,-/%¤£@#
###@&*^=,, ,,=^*&@###
#@¶£†/~-.. ..-~/†£¶@#