##@¤%$=-:. .:-=$%¤@##
###¤%$=-:. .:-=$%¤###
@@¤%=::... ...::=%¤@@
##@¤%$=-:. .:-=$%¤@##
@@¤¤%$=-:. .:-=$%¤¤@@
¤%%$=-::.. # -------------------- # ..::-=$%%¤
##@¤%$=-:. = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = .:-=$%¤@##
###¤%$=-:. = IN A STALE TIMELINE, = .:-=$%¤###
##@¤%$=-:. = BRANCHED WAY BACK = .:-=$%¤@##
#¤$$=:.... = WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR = ....:=$$¤#
##@¤%$=-:. = WAS ALMOST BARREN, = .:-=$%¤@##
###@¤%=-:. 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. .--:=£¶###
##@@$%\~,¨ ¨,~\%$@@##
§*=-¨¨,¨,. .,¨,¨¨-=*§
###@§&%»., ,.»%&§@###
£¤@§*=;=,. .,=;=*§@¤£
###&£§†»~. .~»†§£&###