####**:-:. .:-:**####
####**:-:. .:-:**####
#**:--:... ...:--:**#
###***:-:. .:-:***###
####**:-:. .:-:**####
####**:-:. # -------------------- # .:-:**####
####**:-:. : 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&$AWARENESS# ¨,~/†¤£¶##
@@£¤%†*=,¨ #@OF£&EXACTLY£¶HOW&THEY£HAD¤TRAVELED,*# ¨,=*†%¤£@@
#§¤=†*†»-, #§OF&THE#WAY@HOME@@TO#THE£TIME@FROM¶¶ ,-»†*†=¤§#
@#£&%%/«,, #@WHERE#THEY@CAME,@@#@###AND#THEN@### ,,«/%%&£#@
#@#§£%\»,. #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE\= .,»\%£§#@#
#§@£%*-,¨¨ «-BEING - STOLEN «= FROM «~- THEM. ¨ ¨¨,-*%£@§#
&@@&%*;»:, -- , ««~ ¨ «¨ :» ~ ,:»;*%&@@&
#¶@&$^=~^¨ , ^, . . ¨^~=^$&@¶#
###@$^†=,, . ¨ , ^ ,,=†^$@###
@¶@#£%=»^, ,^»=%£#@¶@
##$%*†;=~, ,#, ,~=;†*%$##
###£¤%/«^¨ ¨^«/%¤£###
@##¤\:-.., AND, ,..-:\¤##@
¤&†,¨,,.,¨ ¨,.,,¨,†&¤
#£=^«~¨¨., NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,.¨¨~«^=£#
&¤===†\»~, NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,~»\†===¤&
£¤&†=*-,.¨ ¨.,-*=†&¤£
@@§§&=*~:¨ ¨:~*=&§§@@
###£%*†«,¨ ¨,«†*%£###
£@$%†:-,.. ..,-:†%$@£
@§*=;^*~,. .,~*^;=*§@