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