&&.&...&.& &&&&..&&..
&.&&&..&&& ....&.&.&.
&&&..&.&.. ....&&&&&&
...&.&&&&. ....&.....
...&&&...& ....&&....
...&..&..& # -------------------- # ....&.&...
...&&.&&.& ^ 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. ¤@¨.&,¨¨¤,
.,,¤§&¨@¤, ¤¨#,#¤¨¨§&
¤.,&,,§&¨§ &#§£#¨&¨@.
¤£.&¤¨£¨§§ ¤....@£#¤£
,.£¤¨§£@@¨ ,¤..¨£,,¨¨
¨¨£.&§,¨,# ¤£§,.§¤¨,¨