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