§§%%~~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~~%%§§
#§%%*..¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨..*%%§#
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##¶§%%*~.¨                                          ¨.~*%%§¶##
#¶§%***~.¨                                          ¨.~***%§¶#
#§§%%*~¨¨¨ 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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§%*~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~*%§
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