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