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