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