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