###§%*=-~, ,~-=*%§###
###§%*=-~, ,~-=*%§###
###§%*=-~, ,~-=*%§###
#§%=~,,,,, ,,,,,~=%§#
#§%%=---~, ,~---=%%§#
#§§%=-,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,-=%§§#
###§%*=-~, = 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. ,,=/*§£¤&£
#@£&&$*=.. ..=*$&&£@#
@$=%«.,..¨ ¨..,.«%=$@
£=\~~^,,¨, ,¨,,^~~\=£
##@@@¤:--. .--:¤@@@##
&£*%-~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~-%*£&