,,,,,,,,§§ ,,,,,,,,,,
§§§§§§§,,§ §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§,,,, ,§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§,,§§, ,,§§§§§§§§
§§§§,,,,,, §,,§§§§§§§
§§§,,§§§§§ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,,,,§§§§§§
§§,,,,§§§§ \ 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. &£#&¤¤¤&&@
£¤#@@@¤@#¤ #£#&@£&&&£
£@¤@@&#### &@@§¤¤¤£§§
¤¤#@#¤&££& &§§@§£&£§£
£&§@@&##£¤ ££@@§§¤£&§
@£#@#£&&@§ &#&@£&#¤@&