..~~~=^&§# #§&^=~~~..
.~=^*&§### ###§&*^=~.
.~=^*&§### ###§&*^=~.
.....~~^*§ §*^~~.....
......~^&§ §&^~......
.~====^# 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. ##&&&*^=~.
.~=^*&§### ###§&*^=~.
.~=^*&§### ###§&*^=~.
.~=^*### ####&*^=~.
...~=*&&&§ §&&&*=~...
.~=^*&§### ###§&*^=~.