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