¨.-:†%§###                                          ###§%†:-.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.-††§                                          §††-.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.-:†%§###                                          ###§%†:-.¨
¨¨¨..:†§§#                                          #§§†:..¨¨¨
¨.-:†%§###                                          ###§%†:-.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.:%## in  the  endless  winter  day,  on   the ##%:.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.-:†%§### crystal white plains... we  trudge along ###§%†:-.¨
¨¨¨-:†%%##   the train tracks... themselves slowly  ##%%†:-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.::†§# snowed  over, in the  still hours  since #§†::.¨¨¨¨
¨.-:†%§###          the last supply train.          ###§%†:-.¨
¨.-:::†§##                                          ##§†:::-.¨
¨.-:†%§###     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ###§%†:-.¨
¨.-:†%§### ground.  rifles attached  to our  wrist, ###§%†:-.¨
¨.-:†%%§§# sharing  in our bloodstream.  my  husky, #§§%%†:-.¨
¨.-:†%§###      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      ###§%†:-.¨
¨¨¨.--:†%#                                          #%†:--.¨¨¨
¨.-::†%§§# the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend #§§%†::-.¨
¨¨¨¨--::%# indiscriminately, they  hurt but deal no #%::--¨¨¨¨
¨.-:†%§§§§ long  time  damage  to  the shooter. the §§§§%†:-.¨
¨¨¨...:%§§ next  five you must spend  wisely,  they §§%:...¨¨¨
¨.-:†%§### will  take days to heal. the  final five ###§%†:-.¨
¨.-:†%§### you    must    not    spend    at   all. ###§%†:-.¨
¨¨¨.::%§§#                                          #§§%::.¨¨¨
¨.-:%§#### weeks earlier,  in the weak autumn dawn, ####§%:-.¨
¨¨...:†§## in  the  blue-gray  fog... something  is ##§†:...¨¨
¨¨¨¨-:†%## burning   with  a  deep  crimson  flame, ##%†:-¨¨¨¨
¨.-:†%§§##       untameable by water or wind.       ##§§%†:-.¨
¨.-:†%####                                          ####%†:-.¨
¨.-:†%§###                                          ###§%†:-.¨
¨.-::†††%§                                          §%†††::-.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.:%#                                          #%:.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.-:†%§###                                          ###§%†:-.¨