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