###¶§%^~,, ,,~^%§¶###
##¶§%^~,,, ,,,~^%§¶##
###¶§%^~,, ,,~^%§¶###
##¶§%^~,,, ,,,~^%§¶##
###¶§%^~,, ,,~^%§¶###
##¶§%^~,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,~^%§¶##
###¶§%^~,, ^ 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. ¨,~==¤#¶@#
###@§%:«~. .~«:%§@###
###&%\».,¨ ¨,.»\%&###
##@¶£@/~.. ..~/@£¶@##
##£&%;~.,¨ ¨,.~;%&£##
##@¶¤£^~.¨ ¨.~^£¤¶@##