.@.@.@.@@. @@.@@.@.@@
.@.@.@..@. .@..@.@..@
.@.@.@.@@. .@.@@.@.@@
.@.@.@..@. .@..@.@..@
.@.@.@.@@. .@.@@.@.@@
.@.@.@..@. # «««««««««««««««««««« # .@..@.@..@
.@.@.@.@@. = 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. .§¨.&¨¤,.#
¨£,§¨&¨##, ¨§¨@#,&¨#£
¨&,&,§¨.§¨ ,£.,#¨@.,¤
,#.§,#.¤#¨ ¨&,#£.@¨&@
,&,&¨#..&¨ ¨§,.£,§¨.§
.#,#¨#.#£. ¨#,#£.§¨@&