,,,,,,§,,, ,,,,§§§§§,
§§§§§,,,§§ ,§§,,§§§,,
,§§§,,§,,§ ,,,,,,§,,,
,,§,,,,,,, §§§§§,,,§§
,,,,§§§§§, §§§§,,§,,,
§§§,,§§§,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # §§§,,,,,§§
§§,,,,§,,§ * 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. ££&@@&§#
¤§£¤§&£&@§ &&&££@§£§@
££@§&§#¤¤# §¤£#§¤¤&§&
£#&¤§&§#@& £@&@£#§@
¤§§¤§§§££# @££££@&£&§
§@££@¤@& §&£@&£§&