&........& &&&&&....&
..&&&&&&.. &&&&..&&..
&..&&&&... &&&......&
....&&..&& .&..&&&&..
&&&......& .....&&..&
&&..&&&&.. # «««««««««««««««««««« # &&&&......
.....&&... * 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. #£££@¤@#£#
£&£&&@#&¤§ ¤£¤¤&@#£
@@#@¤¤§£@£ £&¤&&@@§£§
§#§@¤&¤& £@¤##§
§@¤#¤¤§¤§§ #£¤£@#§§§§
¤&@£¤@¤@ ¤@#£££§#@#