.^~=%%§###                                          ###§%%=~^.
.^~=%%%%§§                                          §§%%%%=~^.
.^~=%%§@##                                          ##@§%%=~^.
...^^^=%@@                                          @@%=^^^...
.^~=%%§@##                                          ##@§%%=~^.
.^~=%%§@## 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.       #@@§%%=~^.
.^~=%%§@##                                          ##@§%%=~^.
.^~~===%§§                                          §§%===~~^.
.~=%%§@###                                          ###@§%%=~.
.....^~=%§                                          §%=~^.....
......~~%§                                          §%~~......