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