##¶@&$=~,. .,~=$&@¶##
#¶@&$=~,.. ..,~=$&@¶#
##¶@&$=~,. .,~=$&@¶##
#¶@&$=~,.. ..,~=$&@¶#
##¶@&$=~,. .,~=$&@¶##
#¶@&$=~,.. # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ..,~=$&@¶#
##¶@&$=~,. = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = .,~=$&@¶##
#¶@&$=~,.. = IN A STALE TIMELINE, = ..,~=$&@¶#
##¶@&$=~,. = BRANCHED WAY BACK = .,~=$&@¶##
#¶@&$=~,.. = WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR = ..,~=$&@¶#
##¶@&$=~,. = WAS ALMOST BARREN, = .,~=$&@¶##
#¶@&$=~,.. COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ..,~=$&@¶#
##¶@&$=~,. AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, .,~=$&@¶##
#¶@&$=~,.. = AT ALL... = ..,~=$&@¶#
##¶@&$=~,. # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # .,~=$&@¶##
@#@$=\--,¨ ¨,--\=$@#@
##@&$^†«:, MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE ,:«†^$&@##
@@§%$/«^.. LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK, ..^«/$%§@@
###@¤*/-,¨ 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, .,«;$¤¤@##
###%=:«,., ,.,«:=%###
#@£¤%*\«~, NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,~«\*%¤£@#
@@£**:~-¨¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨¨-~:**£@@
####£†*~:, ,:~*†£####
#¶@£§/=-.¨ ¨.-=/§£@¶#
####$=:«~. .~«:=$####
#£@**:~:.. ..:~:**@£#
###@£*^«., ,.«^*£@###