###@&§†-~. .~-†§&@###
##@&§†-~.. ..~-†§&@##
###@&§†-~. .~-†§&@###
##@&§†-~.. ..~-†§&@##
###@&§†-~. .~-†§&@###
##@&§†-~.. # -------------------- # ..~-†§&@##
###@&§†-~. * 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. ..,«%£&¶##
####@@=«.. ..«=@@####
##£@£^~:., ,.:~^£@£##
####§&%~,, ,,~%&§####
###£§%~-.. ..-~%§£###
##@£@¤$~-, ,-~$¤@£@##