.^~:*%¤¶@@                                          @@¶¤%*:~^.
.^~:*%¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤%*:~^.
.^~:*%¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤%*:~^.
.^:*%¤¶@##                                          ##@¶¤%*:^.
.^~:*%¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤%*:~^.
.^~~~~*%¤¤ 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.       ##¶¤%*:~^.
.^~:*%%%¶¶                                          ¶¶%%%*:~^.
.^^^~:*¤¶¶                                          ¶¶¤*:~^^^.
.^~:*%¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤%*:~^.
....^~:%¤¶                                          ¶¤%:~^....
.^~:*%¤¶##                                          ##¶¤%*:~^.