##@@¤=:-,¨ ¨,-:=¤@@##
#@@¤=:-,¨¨ ¨¨,-:=¤@@#
##@@¤=:-,¨ ¨,-:=¤@@##
#@@¤=:-,¨¨ ¨¨,-:=¤@@#
##@@¤=:-,¨ ¨,-:=¤@@##
#@@¤=:-,¨¨ # -------------------- # ¨¨,-:=¤@@#
##@@¤=:-,¨ : 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. ,¨,«*=¤¶@#
####¤%;-:. .:-;%¤####
##@¤§\~~¨¨ ¨¨~~\§¤@##
##@¶#*^«.. ..«^*#¶@##
##@£*^»:.. ..:»^*£@##
###¶&§^«.. ..«^§&¶###