%:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:%
:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:
%:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:%
%%:~^¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨^~:%%@
%%:~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~:%%
%:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:%
:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~: