####*%†»~¨                                          ¨~»†%*####
###*%†»~¨¨                                          ¨¨~»†%*###
##*%†»~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~»†%*##
#*%†»~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~»†%*#
*%†»~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~»†%*
%†»~¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨~»†%*##
#*%†»~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~»†%*#
*%†»~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~»†%*
%†»~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~»†%
†»~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~»†
%†»~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~»†%