@%;.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.;%@
@**===..¨¨ ¨¨..===**@
#@#@%*;=.¨ ¨.=;*%@#@#
@@#@%*;=.¨ ¨.=;*%@#@@
###@%*;=.¨ ¨.=;*%@###
##@@%*;=.¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨.=;;%#
#@%*=..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..=*%@#
@*=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨=*@
@@@@%*;=.¨ ¨.=;*%@@@@
##@@%*;=.¨ ¨.=;*%@@##
#@#@%*;=.¨ ¨.=;*%@#@#