##@££§†~:, ,:~†§££@##
##@££§†~:, ,:~†§££@##
£§†::,,,,, ,,,,,::†§£
@££££§†~:, ,:~†§££££@
#@£££§†~:, ,:~†§£££@#
£§††::,,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,,::††§£
##@££§†~:, † 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&&EXACTLYHOW£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. ¨:-=†%†&£§
##@¤@*/-~, ,~-/*@¤@##
###&$=;~~. .~~;=$##
#@#&§§:«,¨ ¨,«:§§@#
##@§%$^»^, ,^»^$%§@##
££&§%§/~,¨ ¨,~/§%§&££