@§@\~-.... ....-~\@§@
#§@@\~.... ....~\@@§#
@§§@%~~~-. .-~~~%@§§@
§§%\\~.... ....~\\%§§
#@\--..... .....--\@#
@@#§@%\~-. # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # .-~\%@§#@@
#@#§@%\~-. \ 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. ¨-«\†&@###
##¶@¤%/~,. .,~/%¤@¶##
####£$$/~, ,~/$$£####
#@#§$%;~^. .^~;%$§#@#
##@§&$/«^¨ ¨^«/$&§@##
#@@#%^^~^. .^~^^%#@@#