..-^*§&### ###&§*^-..
.......^*& &*^.......
......^§§& &§§^......
..-^*§§§&# #&§§§*^-..
..-^*§&### ###&§*^-..
......-*§& 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. ###&§*^-..
..-^*§&### ###&§*^-..
..-^*§&### ###&§*^-..
....-^§§&# #&§§^-....
..-^*§&### ###&§*^-..
.....^*§## ##§*^.....