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