....~~*=§@                                          @§=*~~....
..~*=*§£@#                                          #@£§*=*~..
..~*=*§£@@                                          @@£§*=*~..
....~~=§§@                                          @§§=~~....
...~~**=§£                                          £§=**~~...
..~*=*§£## 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.       #@£§*=*~..
..~*=*£@##                                          ##@£*=*~..
..~*=*§£@#                                          #@£§*=*~..
..~*=*§£@@                                          @@£§*=*~..
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..~*=*§@##                                          ##@§*=*~..