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