......&&&. &&&&..&&&.
.....&..&. ...&.&..&.
....&&.&&. ..&&&&.&&.
...&.&&.&. .&...&&.&.
..&&&.&&&& &&..&.&&&.
.&..&&.... # ==================== # .&.&&&..&.
&&.&.&...& : 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. ,.#¨&&@,@¤
§,¨¨¨&¨& ¨£#£¨¨§@.£
@,,¨§@@¨,@ @,,@¨£.¤¤.
@,,&,¨#.#. @.£§@&£.&§
£,§@,¤¤¤&, ,.,¨#£,,
£§¨#£.,,§. ¨&¨.,#¨#¨£