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