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