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