&&¨¨¨&¨&&¨ ¨&¨&¨¨&¨&¨
¨&¨¨&&¨¨&¨ ¨&¨&¨&&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨&&¨ ¨&¨&¨¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨¨&¨ ¨&¨&¨&&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨&&¨ ¨&¨&¨¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨¨&¨ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ¨&¨&¨&&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨&&¨ ^ 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. ¨#.&.£@,@.
#@,§¨#,&#¨ .§.¤,.¤.#,
¨&,@,§,,£. ¨¤.@.&£.£¨
§§.£¨¤¨#£. ,&¨§,,¤.§,
.§.&.#.,@, .@.¤¨£#,¤,
£&.£¨¤,§&. .¤.@,¨¤,@.