.....~*§@@                                          @@§*~.....
..~†*¤§@##                                          ##@§¤*†~..
.....~*¤§#                                          #§¤*~.....
..~†*¤§###                                          ###§¤*†~..
..~†*¤§@##                                          ##@§¤*†~..
..~†*¤§@## 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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