¨¨¨¨¨~^^§§ §§^^~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~^^$§### ###§$^^~~¨
¨¨~~~^^^$§ §$^^^~~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~^^§#@ @#§^^~~¨¨¨
¨~~^^$$$§§ §§$$$^^~~¨
¨¨¨¨~^^^^§ 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 @§§^^^^~~¨
¨~~^^$§#@# BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, #@#§$^^~~¨
¨~~^^$§#@# UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. #@#§$^^~~¨
¨~~^^$§#@# #@#§$^^~~¨
¨~~~~^$§§@ @§§$^~~~~¨
¨~~^^$§#@# #@#§$^^~~¨
¨~~^^^^§§@ @§§^^^^~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~^§## ##§^~¨¨¨¨¨