###@£%*=., ,.=*%£@###
##@£%*=.,, ,,.=*%£@##
###@£%*=., ,.=*%£@###
##@£%*=.,, ,,.=*%£@##
###@£%*=., ,.=*%£@###
##@£%*=.,, # ==================== # ,,.=*%£@##
###@£%*=., * 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$KNOWLEDGE†« ,:-\%£#@##
#@@%§=~^,¨ ~~BEING - STOLEN ~~ FROM »«» THEM. , ¨,^~=§%@@#
###¶@%\=,, == , ~~= . ~¨ ,- ~ ,,=\%@¶###
##@%*==-,, , -, , ¨ ,,-==*%@##
##@#£§\~,¨ . , ¨ † ¨,~\§£#@##
##¶%$^»,,. .,,»^$%¶##
####**:-,, .#¨ ,,-:**####
#@@£%\«,.¨ ¨.,«\%£@@#
####**\=,, AND, ,,=\**####
#@£@=:~~,, ,,~~:=@£@#
####&%;»,, NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,,»;%&####
###£^^~^.. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ..^~^^£###
##@#%*=~^. .^~=*%#@##
#@@$%^«,.¨ ¨.,«^%$@@#
####@§:~~¨ ¨~~:§@####
##¶£^/~-.. ..-~/^£¶##
###¶¤§/«-. .-«/§¤¶###