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