#@@#&^\~., ,.~\^&#@@#
##@@&^\~., ,.~\^&@@##
#^\\\~,,,, ,,,,~\\\^#
@@@#&^\~., ,.~\^&#@@@
##^^^\\~., ,.~\\^^^##
@&^^~..,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,..~^^&@
@@&^~,,,,, \ 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. .,«†=;&%¤£
####%%:-.. ..-:%%####
##£&£§==~¨ ¨~==§£&£##
@#@@§%:«^¨ ¨^«:%§@@#@
#@£#¤§:~:, ,:~:§¤#£@#
@¤%%\:..., ,...:\%%¤@