#&%=-..... .....-=%&#
#&&%=-.... ....-=%&&#
###&¤%=-~. .~-=%¤&###
###&¤%=-~. .~-=%¤&###
&%-~~..... .....~~-%&
###&¤%=-~. # -------------------- # .~-=%¤&###
&%--...... = 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¤$AWARENESS# ¨,«\§%@###
#@%%«-.,¨¨ #£OF£¤EXACTLY@@HOW#THEY@HAD&TRAVELED,%# ¨¨,.-«%%@#
@@#&¤^:=-, ##OF@THE#WAY¶HOME££TO@THE@TIME@FROM@# ,-=:^¤&#@@
@@§£@=^=:¨ #@WHERE#THEY#CAME,@##@@##AND#THEN##@# ¨:=^=@£§@@
#§§::.,.,. #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS=KNOWLEDGE/~ .,.,.::§§#
####&*/~:¨ ~-BEING « STOLEN -= FROM =-- THEM. . ¨:~/*&####
§=*=,,,¨,, ~- , -=~ , =. :~ ~ ,,¨,,,=*=§
#@##*†;=~¨ - -~ . . ¨~=;†*##@#
#&&£*=«¨.. , ¨ , = ..¨«=*£&&#
#&&@*§^~-, ,-~^§*@&&#
##@@§*^=:. ¨#¨ .:=^*§@@##
##¶§*§:»:. .:»:§*§¶##
#@#§¤%=»,, AND, ,,»=%¤§#@#
@¤$^.~:.,, ,,.:~.^$¤@
#@@&£§==.¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨.==§£&@@#
#¤#%:^¨,¨. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. .¨,¨^:%#¤#
£#&**,.,., ,.,.,**&#£
####*§;»~, ,~»;§*####
##¶£$=/=.¨ ¨.=/=$£¶##
##£¤$*†--. .--†*$¤£##
@#¶£$=:~,, ,,~:=$£¶#@