####@%%\~: :~\%%@####
###@%%\~:. .:~\%%@###
####@%%\~: :~\%%@####
###@%%\~:. .:~\%%@###
####@%%\~: :~\%%@####
###@%%\~:. # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # .:~\%%@###
####@%%\~: \ 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. .:~/^¤§¶##
####@*=†~. .~†=*@####
##@§¤*=~^, ,^~=*¤§@##
###@¤%†=~, ,~=†%¤@###
##@§$$/~,, ,,~/$$§@##
####¤£§;=, ,=;§£¤####