,,,§,§,,,, ,,§,,,,,,§
§,,,,,§,,, ,,,§,,,,,,
,§,,,,,§,, ,,,,§,,,,,
,,§,,,,,§, ,,,,,§,,,,
,,,§,,,,,§ §,,,,,§,,,
,,,,§,,,,, # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,§,,,,,§,,
,,,,,§,,,, ; 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. §,.@¨.¨,,@
§.¨.¨,.§,, ¨&.¨¤,.¨,.
.#¨..,¨,#¨ ,¨¤,¨§.¨..
,¨@,.¨.¨,§ #.,#.,§..,
.¨¨&,,.¨,¨ ¨&¨.&¨.#.,
¨,¨,¤¨,,¨, ¨.#,¨@¨.@,