##@#@*^»-. .-»^*@#@##
###@#@^»-. .-»^@#@###
###@*».... ....»*@###
##@#@*^»-. .-»^*@#@##
#@***».... ....»***@#
@@*»...... # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ......»*@@
##***»--.. ^ 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. . .¨¨~,/=%§¤
##@&£$^~.. ~= , ==~ ¨ ~¨ .» ~ ..~^$£&@##
¤%/:,¨,,,, . ,- ~ ¨ ,,,,¨,:/%¤
##@@$*/~,¨ , . , $ ¨,~/*$@@##
£&†«,,..¨. .¨..,,«†&£
@&§$¤*†~~¨ ,#, ¨~~†*¤$§&@
@@^:,¨.,,. .,,.¨,:^@@
#£§=~«~»,. AND, .,»~«~=§£#
@#@§@*/~.¨ ¨.~/*@§@#@
@¤^^-,,¨,. NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. .,¨,,-^^¤@
#&§§»¨¨¨,¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨,¨¨¨»§§&#
##@£¤£§*~¨ ¨~*§£¤£@##
##£@&%/-,. .,-/%&@£##
##£&$=*»^. .^»*=$&£##
#$£%/^.,.. ..,.^/%£$#
##¶£*%^«,. .,«^%*£¶##