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