####@^\-,¨ ¨,-\^@####
####@^\-,¨ ¨,-\^@####
####@^\-,¨ ¨,-\^@####
#@\--,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,--\@#
##^--,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,--^##
####@^\-,¨ # -------------------- # ¨,-\^@####
##@^\-,¨¨¨ \ 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@##@ ..,«=;$¤&@
@@¤*~~:^., #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE:~ ,.^:~~*¤@@
£§%%\-¨,,. ~«BEING » STOLEN ~~ FROM -»= THEM. ¨ .,,¨-\%%§£
@*~-,..¨¨, «« . -=~ . ~, :« ~ ,¨¨..,-~*@
##¶§%%†=:. ~ ~. ~ ¨ .:=†%%§¶##
#¤$%†%:«,. ¨ , ¨ % .,«:%†%$¤#
§%£%/\;=,. .,=;\/%£%§
@##¤¤=†=-. ¨#¨ .-=†=¤¤##@
##@§£†;-^. .^-;†£§@##
#&†*-~--,, AND, ,,--~-*†&#
&*~,,¨..,. .,..¨,,~*&
####*=;~:, NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,:~;=*####
##£§&%†»., NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,.»†%&§£##
##@¤£†/~:, ,:~/†£¤@##
£%^».¨.,., ,.,.¨.»^%£
@@$*=«¨..¨ ¨..¨«=*$@@
@@£§^=~^,, ,,^~=^§£@@
@¤%=..,¨,, ,,¨,..=%¤@