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