###@*%\«~.                                          .~«\%*@###
##@*%\«~..                                          ..~«\%*@##
#@*%\«~...                                          ...~«\%*@#
@*%\«~....                                          ....~«\%*@
*%\«~.....                                          .....~«\%*
%\«~...... 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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«~........                                          ........~«
\«~.......                                          .......~«\
%\«~......                                          ......~«\%