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