####£$==:, ,:==$£####
###£$==:,, ,,:==$£###
##£$==:,,, ,,,:==$£##
#£$==:,,,, ,,,,:==$£#
£$==:,,,,, ,,,,,:==$£
#£$==:,,,, # ==================== # ,,,,:==$£#
##£$==:,,, = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = ,,,:==$£##
###£$==:,, = IN A STALE TIMELINE, = ,,:==$£###
####£$==:, = BRANCHED WAY BACK = ,:==$£####
###£$==:,, = WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR = ,,:==$£###
##£$==:,,, = WAS ALMOST BARREN, = ,,,:==$£##
#£$==:,,,, COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ,,,,:==$£#
£$==:,,,,, AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, ,,,,,:==$£
#£$==:,,,, = AT ALL... = ,,,,:==$£#
##£$==:,,, # ==================== # ,,,:==$£##
###§%/«^¨. .¨^«/%§###
##@#§$†~~, MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE ,~~†$§#@##
###@§†-^¨, 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. ¨¨.¨-~;*£@
#£§**~~¨.. ..¨~~**§£#
##¶§††~~,, ,,~~††§¶##
###@#^†«,, ,,«†^#@###
##£#%:«:¨. .¨:«:%#£##
#¶§=^=,,¨, ,¨,,=^=§¶#