###¤¤%\~.¨ ¨.~\%¤¤###
###¤¤%\~.¨ ¨.~\%¤¤###
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¤¤%%%\..¨¨ ¨¨..\%%%¤¤
####¤%\~.¨ ¨.~\%¤####
¤¤%~~¨¨¨¨¨ 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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###¤¤%\~.¨ ¨.~\%¤¤###
###¤¤%\~.¨ ¨.~\%¤¤###