&&$$**\-,. .,-\**$$&&
&&*-...... ......-*&&
£$$$\---,. .,---\$$$£
###£&$*\-. .-\*$&£###
##£&$*\-,. .,-\*$&£##
£$$$\,.... # -------------------- # ....,\$$$£
##£&$*\-,. \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \ .,-\*$&£##
&***-..... \ 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. ,¨.¨,,~»†£
@@$$*$=»~. .~»=$*$$@@
@@%§=,,,,¨ ¨,,,,=§%@@
##@£§†;»,¨ ¨,»;†§£@##
¶$§~.¨..,¨ ¨,..¨.~§$¶
@#§*£%=«,¨ ¨,«=%£*§#@