##@@&=;«^. .^«;=&@@##
##@@&=;«^. .^«;=&@@##
##@@&=;«^. .^«;=&@@##
#@=««^.... ....^««=@#
##@@&=;«^. .^«;=&@@##
@@&;^..... # «««««««««««««««««««« # .....^;&@@
@&&=;^^^.. ; 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. ¨,¨.«†\%@#
@¶§$=~-=~. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. .~=-~=$§¶@
#@@§&§:=,¨ ¨,=:§&§@@#
@#£%=%^«.. ..«^%=%£#@
##££$=\-~¨ ¨~-\=$££##
&*%=,¨..,. .,..¨,=%*&
###¶§¤§^-, ,-^§¤§¶###