..^~:%$§£#                                          #£§$%:~^..
...^~:%$§£                                          £§$%:~^...
....^~:%$§                                          §$%:~^....
.....^~:%$                                          $%:~^.....
......^~:%                                          %:~^......
.......^~: IN  THE  ENDLESS   WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE :~^.......
........^~ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE  TRUDGE ALONG ~^........
.........^  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   ^.........
.......... SNOWED OVER, IN THE  STILL  HOURS  SINCE ..........
..........          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ..........
.......... GROUND. RIFLES  ATTACHED TO  OUR  WRIST, ..........
.........^ SHARING IN  OUR BLOODSTREAM.  MY  HUSKY, ^.........
........^~      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      ~^........
.......^~:                                          :~^.......
......^~:% THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND %:~^......
.....^~:%$ 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.       %:~^......
.......^~:                                          :~^.......
........^~                                          ~^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........