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