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