$*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*$
*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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...      ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*
$*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*$
*$*=~¨¨¨¨¨ INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY  HURT BUT DEAL NO ¨¨¨¨¨~=*$*
#*$*=~¨¨¨¨ LONG  TIME  DAMAGE  TO  THE SHOOTER. THE ¨¨¨¨~=*$*#
¶#*$*=~¨¨¨ NEXT FIVE YOU  MUST SPEND  WISELY,  THEY ¨¨¨~=*$*#¶
#¶#*$*=~¨¨ WILL TAKE  DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL  FIVE ¨¨~=*$*#¶#
##¶#*$*=~¨ YOU   MUST    NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. ¨~=*$*#¶##
#¶#*$*=~¨¨                                          ¨¨~=*$*#¶#
¶#*$*=~¨¨¨ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK  AUTUMN DAWN, ¨¨¨~=*$*#¶
#*$*=~¨¨¨¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY FOG...  SOMETHING  IS ¨¨¨¨~=*$*#
*$*=~¨¨¨¨¨ BURNING  WITH  A   DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨¨¨¨¨~=*$*
$*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*$
*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨