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