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