@@§^^»»:,, ,,:»»^^§@@
#@@§&^:»:, ,:»:^&§@@#
#@@§&^:»:, ,:»:^&§@@#
#@@§&^:»:, ,:»:^&§@@#
@@@§&^:»:, ,:»:^&§@@@
#@@§&^:»:, # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,:»:^&§@@#
#@@§&^:»:, : 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. ,¨..---*&#
@§*%$:,.¨¨ ¨¨.,:$%*§@
#§=†:*-,,, ,,,-*:†=§#
§£*:.,¨¨.. ..¨¨,.:*£§
##@¤%§\=^¨ ¨^=\§%¤@##
£$$~»¨,,¨¨ ¨¨,,¨»~$$£