##@#%=/»,. .,»/=%#@##
#@#%=/»,.. ..,»/=%#@#
@#%=/»,... ...,»/=%#@
#@#%=/»,.. ..,»/=%#@#
##@#%=/»,. .,»/=%#@##
#@#%=/»,.. # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ..,»/=%#@#
@#%=/»,... / 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. .¨.»\%£#@#
#@$%\=-.,¨ ¨,.-=\%$@#
#@#%*\~~,. .,~~\*%#@#
##@£*$†»~¨ ¨~»†$*£@##
##¶$*†»... ...»†*$¶##
@#£*\«-,¨. .¨,-«\*£#@