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