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