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